My Pizzazz

2011-07-24T22:27:00.001-07:00

2nd Annual Grassroots

Music Blend

Come enjoy live music and good company in the summer night air

Sat Aug 6^th @ 7pm

Askerlund backyard (5442 Rose Willow Cir.)

(additional seating will be available in the adjacent yard if needed, the balcony seats!)

Bring a Blanket to sit on and a snack to share.

No kids please

RSVP amyask1@yahoo.com or via facebook

Bring your neighbors and friends!

Boating and Breaking

2011-07-22T13:43:00.001-07:00

We went down to St. George with Jon’s parents for a weekend. We spent the first day at Sand Hollow. I just love it here!

The sand is so smooth and soft and the water is so blue and warm. It is always so fun to pack a picnic and spend the day.

This time, I ended up in the Instacare with a broken nose! I was on the tube with Paige and her head hit my nose. Ouch!

This is the day it happened, Saturday, a little swollen.

Here’s the X-ray, you can see the 2 breaks.

Sunday morning:

Sunday night:

Monday:

Tuesday:

It’s getting better everyday! The swelling is down and the bruising is getting lighter and smaller everyday.

Here are some more pictures from a walk we took in Hurricane:

Every time we go it’s so fun and relaxing. The warm weather and change of environment makes it feel like a great vacation. We feel so blessed to be able to spend time there. (And we love to go with friends, too! )

JULY 4th and 5th 2011

2011-07-22T13:21:00.001-07:00

There is really only one place in the world I want to be on the 4th of July. Anyone who’s been will usually echo my sentiment. IDAHO FALLS!!!

Here we are having a game of backyard baseball.

And enjoying some fireworks in the street.

Wrestling in the grass with Uncle Ben and Grandpa:

The morning of the 4th, some of us ran a 5K. Paige and Haily wanted to try it. I was very proud of them for finishing!

Then we went to a flag raising ceremony that the neighbors have hosted for many years.

Then it was off to the parade!

We had a fun BBQ that afternoon, took a nice nap, and headed out to the BIG firework show by the falls.

The next day was my birthday! I started the day by going to breakfast with 4 of my BFFs from high school and our husbands. It was so good to see everyone!

The next day I went out to gelato and a movie with some friends here at home.

Jon got me a fabulous present! This:

It’s a Nook Color! I’m still learning all it can do but so far my favorite is the scripture app and all the games…oh and the magazines!

This is definitely my favorite time of the year!

Sweet Haily turns 8

2011-06-14T22:28:00.001-07:00

When I was pregnant with Haily, I was super sick! The sickest I’ve ever been. I tried and tried but could not hold anything down, and ended up having an IV put in for 2 months.

So, early in this pregnancy, I spent a lot of “down” time; thinking, pondering, resting. I think I got to know this little babe before she was born, more so than with any other child. I knew from the beginning she was SWEET.

Here she is just over a year old.

And here she is 4.

Last month, Haily turned 8!

She had a fun party with her friends! She just wanted to play Dance on the Xbox Kinect. They had fun!

Then a couple weeks later, she was baptized! Jon and I took her out to the dinner of her choice and she chose, the Mayan! Then we went to the mall to buy her some new shoes; and she chose:

Here she is on her special day:

We were blessed that so many friends and family could be there with us. What a sweet, beautiful, special day.

Projects

2011-05-10T14:43:00.001-07:00

Ah, the end of the school year. It seems every week there is a project due! Here are a couple we did recently:

Haily did a Great Brain Report where she could research and present a report on any topic she chose. Lots of kids in her class did things like Little Pet Shops, Koala Bears, and so on. Haily chose to do hers on volcanoes! She read a book about them, and we did some research online. Here is the model we built:

We practiced the eruption the night before about 4 times. It worked every time. When we did it for the class, it did not work! So sad! So the next day I went in and did it again. This time it worked!

Paige’s grade did a zoo where they each and to research an animal and make replica to display in the zoo. She chose the elephant. Here is the one we built:

It was her idea to use the milk carton and to use raw spaghetti for the grassland habitat.

Some more of Charlie playing soccer:

My little girl is growing up!

And for Mother’s Day:

I ordered myself some new running shoes! After the hundreds of miles put on the old pair, I thought it was about time. But the best gifts are the hand made ones from the kids. Haily did a magazine at school where she answered questions about me. If she could give me anything it would be “ 1,000,000,000 dolers”, my favorite restaurant is “McDonalds”, and my favorite TV show is “Opra Wimfree”!

Jean

2011-04-27T12:36:00.001-07:00

Thursday, April 14th, 2011 Jon’s grandma passed away. She was one of the greatest people I’ve ever known. I wish I could claim that she was on MY side of the family! She did make me feel just like one of her own. She truly had the ability to LOVE. She made everyone feel so welcome and special. She will be sorely missed.

We had the opportunity to visit her somewhat often over the past year or so. Here are some of the photos we took with her.

February 2010:

May 2010

September 2010

This is a picture of a statue that she loved and was printed on the back of the funeral programs:

Here we are after the funeral:

It was a beautiful Spring day and the service was lovely. Lots of happy memories were shared. The girls and I wrote a poem.

In Memory of Jean

A poem for the poet,

With eyes of brilliant blue,

Gentle hands and auburn hair,

A heart so kind and true.

Little Mary Leona,

Her Daddy called her Jean,

And paid her brothers to do the same,

To her mother’s eyes unseen.

Secret money giving,

She learned it while so small,

She’d tuck some in your pocket,

Before you knew at all.

Love at first sight struck young Jean,

They’d dance the nights away,

Then run away to marry,

His name was Norris Kay.

Never forgot a birthday,

Or special occasion missed,

Each child lit up her face,

As their tender cheeks she kissed.

Around her table they’d gather,

Played Go Fish or Slap a Jack,

Out at the pomegranate tree,

They’d gather some in a sack.

We loved her potato salad,

Only she could make it right,

We also loved her happy smile,

It was so big and bright.

She always loved the movies,

To the theater she’d go,

Or stay home with warm milk,

And settle in for a show.

So much fun to be with,

Always made a clever joke,

She’d drop her head and laugh,

Then sip her mug of coke.

Caught between two worlds,

As her time was drawing nigh.

So many here would miss her,

When they had to say goodbye.

The children and the grandkids,

A loving husband most.

Who would eat the nightly mush,

And perfect piece of toast?

“Who will love me like she did?”

She had the magic gift.

Each felt like her favorite.

Her words, their spirits lift.

The duty left to each of us,

She showed us what to do.

She learned from the Master,

Love as I loved you.

Encircled in His loving arms,

Health and beauty hers again,

With daughter, parents, countless more,

Welcomed home by waiting kin.

Now she watches over us,

Sending signs of love,

A hummingbird in Springtime,

A pair of mourning doves.

By Amy, Paige, and Haily Askerlund

These doves came and perched in the tree of her front yard after the funeral. We thought it was a tender moment and looked into the symbolism of these birds:

..."DOVE - reminds us how important peace is. The peace symbolized by Dove is that of the deepest kind. It quiets our worried and troubled thoughts, and allows us to find renewal in the silence of mind. In such moments of stillness we are able to appreciate simple blessings. It reminds us that no matter what is happening in our lives, there are always new possibilities open to us..."

The dove is a universal symbol of peace and innocence. In ancient Greek myth it was a bird of Athene which represented the renewal of life.

Out like a lamb

2011-04-17T22:00:00.001-07:00

Here are some of the things we have been keeping busy with these last few weeks!

Zion National Park has quickly become one of our family’s favorite places. We bought an annual pass this year! (p.s. we love to go with friends! Anyone interested?)

This one is actually at Snow Canyon:

Meg saw the other kids gathering walking sticks and wanted one of her own.

Emerald Pools hike:We hiked out another way and looking back you can see the trail to Emerald Pools:Beautiful day.

The new rec center opened here in town and we have loved it! I am thoroughly enjoying my new workout routine. I had been going to aerobics at the church for a little over a year and it was great for that time. I could take my kids and it was fun! But now I am enjoying going without the kids and having some “me” time.

There is a great pool there and all the kids love swimming!

Meg doesn’t look happy here but trust me she was having a ball!

Paige and Meg coming down the slide:

We decided to let Charlie try soccer again even though last year he was less than enthusiastic. He’s on a team with friends this time. They had their first game over the weekend and they won! (I think, we don’t really keep score at this age.)

Here’s Meg just hangin’ out in the Cozy Coupe. She loves it, and Elmo who she calls LaLa because of his song, “la la la la, la la la la, Elmo”s World…”

We have a very generous neighbor who has supplied us with hand-me-downs for Meg ever since before she was born! Here she is going through a latest delivery:

It’s great fun for all the kids. Of course Meg had to put the boots on right away.

We took an excursion to the Bean Museum in Provo. It was interesting and fun for the kids. I couldn’t help but wonder what Meg and Charlie thought since we had been to the zoo the week before.

Growth

2011-03-14T10:21:00.001-07:00

It’s been a couple months since I’ve posted. I want to make a more regular effort to post, even if I feel like there is nothing significant to report, or I don’t have the time to make the post AMAZING!

So, let’s start with my little getaway without the kids! Jon and I went with Dave and Shelle to St, George, and spent one evening in Vegas. Here are some highlights:

We had lunch one day at this place:

So, so good! Curry has become a new favorite of mine. I even made Jon take me to a Thai place a few weeks later for our anniversary. (Which was our 12th, on the 12th of March, and 12 is Jon’s favorite number.)

We went to the Bellagio in Las Vegas and ate the the buffet. I can’t even begin to list the delicious and vast amount of food I consumed. The watermelon was so fresh and sweet, the caprese salad was so mouth watering. The crème brulee was delectable. Here are some pictures in the hotel’s big display. The theme is “Year of the Rabbit”.

We went into Zion's. It was so quiet and peaceful. It was a lovely time. Such a contrast to the night in Vegas.

Back to life…

Paige did a science project about how plants get water from the ground. Here she is next to her display. I’d known about it for weeks and we had looked into some options but the due date really snuck up on us. We put this together the night before.

Here is a photo of Meg. Jon had gotten her out of her bed late at night and brought her downstairs! This is the way we roll around here! She really is a wonderful sleeper, but every once in a while she resists bedtime a little bit. And those are the nights she is a real daddy’s girl.

Meg is now old enough to be in the nursery at church. She finally stayed in there the whole last hour! When I picked her up, she said, “Bubbles! Jesus!”

She is a tiny little thing, weighing in at 18 pounds. But she does have a vocabulary of over 100 words! She keeps us laughing and fills us with joy.

We got to go the baptism of my nephew last week. It was a special day! Haily is really looking forward to her own baptism, just a couple months away.

Charlie is becoming the perfect yin/yang personality. He can be such a tender hearted sweetie and also such a defiant, stubborn button pusher. He got kicked out of his primary class last week. But the following week was much better, possibly because of the agreement we made that he could have a new mermaid doll if he did well. Ah, Charlie.

The past few months have been a lot like Charlie’s personality actually. A lot of turmoil and trials, and yet a lot of tender mercies. People have reached out in care and concern. I have had some sweet opportunities for learning and growth in the temple and in answer to fasting. Prayers have become more frequent, fervent, and meaningful. Relationships have been tested and strengthened.

My brother, Ben, made a comment that you always learn a lot about yourself when you are going through the harder times. This is so true. Sometimes the things that become evident in ourselves are the things that need some work. This is the Lord showing us our weaknesses that they may become strengths.

These are also the times we learn the most about God as He reveals himself to us through the miracles that we pray so fervently for.

Springtime is on the horizon.

energy

2011-01-24T13:39:00.000-08:00

A little heads up about this post...it's not the usual "family happenings and updates" that I often do. It's about what's been on my mind with the coming of the new year. I wanted to journal my thoughts, experiences, and goals. Read on, if you're interested, and certainly leave your thoughts if you feel so inclined!

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the concept of energy. I find it most interesting that it can never be created, nor destroyed, it only changes form. Light, movement, heat. When energy is transferred, a change occurs.

The actual definition of energy is the capacity of a physical system to do work, or in other words, the ability to make something happen.
We all need physical energy to live, to perform our daily tasks. We get this energy from the food we eat, and ultimately from sunlight.

Have you ever noticed the “energy” of a particular place? Or even the energy of a certain person? What IS that? What makes it good or bad? In some cases you walk away feeling energized and other times, you can feel drained of energy. I'm wondering about this energy of the spirit, the soul, or the subtle body as it is sometimes referred to. How is it different from physical energy, or is it?

How can we influence this type energy in our lives? How much control do we really have? These are the things I have been contemplating lately. It has been quite life-changing, to be honest, and I feel my journey of learning and discovery is just beginning! I want to learn more about how to transfer energy to incite changes in my life.

Jon has an old cassette tape, probably 25 years old, that his father gave to him when he was a boy. He has listened to it off and on throughout his life. It is called “Positively Change Your Life” and it teaches the principles of positive affirmations, the law of attraction, and visualizations in creating the life you want for yourself. It walks you through a relaxation and meditation process then recites several positive affirmations. I have been listening to it consistently for a few weeks now and I’m really enjoying it. I can say that I FEEL different. I am happier and better able to handle the stress that life brings. I have a clearer picture of my intentions, goals, and dreams and that makes it easier to make decisions. (That is NOT to say I have perfected it. Jon would be snickering with raised eyebrows about now.)

Could thoughts actually be currents of energy that we are transferring from our minds into the universe? And if so, the belief is that we will attract similar currents back into our lives. Isn't that really the process of PRAYER?
I believe that God created the universe and the laws that govern it. He also gave us the gift of agency, the power to act for ourselves, not just be acted upon. We are here to use our energy to make the very best of our lives, and bless the lives of others.

I had the opportunity a few weeks ago to attend a vision collage workshop. My friend Katrina guided us through a meditation then led us in the process of creating a vision collage. We focused not only on specific items that we would like to bring into our lives, but also on the feelings that the images evoked in us. Or, the ENERGY that the pictures held, that we would like to invite more of into our lives. Here is how mine turned out:

I was pleasantly surprised at the way it came together. It was not what I thought I would end up with!

I believe that acknowledging results, no matter how small, will continue the momentum and bring about more realizations. It’s the basic concept of gratitude! So, let me share one thing that I have already noticed!
I was really drawn to the green mirror window so I cut it out and put it in the collage. I won't go into details now about why but I'll just say that I wanted something similar in my house so I looked on ksl and found an old barn window for sale for $10! It was in a city about 45 minutes away. I told Jon about it and to my astonishment he was about to drive there for business! Yay! The window is now in my garage awaiting paint.

After all this time I’ve spent thinking and pondering I realized that my house, although very comfortable and functional for my lifestyle, doesn’t really reflect me. I decided to start small and create a little space for me that, when I am in it, I see and feel myself reflected back. Not me the mom, or me the cook, the maid, or the other functions I perform; but me the person. The energy of my thoughts and feelings, hopes and desires. I often get out of touch with myself in the rush of life. I decided to call this room my greenhouse, and I am attempting to create the optimal conditions for my personal growth.
It will be a place where I can think, study, read, meditate, relax, escape, and renew.

Topics I want to learn more about:
Chakras
Light, particularly in terms of the gospel
Auras
Meditation

I'm excited to see what the coming year will bring.

Catching up!!

2010-12-05T21:50:00.000-08:00

This is my sweet Charlie. He turned 4 a couple months ago. He is so lovable.
I love Charlie's smile.
His gorgeous brown eyes.
His spontaneous hugs and kisses.
The way he adores Meg.
Charlie is super smart. He always wants to keep up with his big sisters.

Charlie played soccer this year. He was most excited about the uniforms and the after-game snacks.

Here I am trying to convince him to go back in the game.

This is my baby girl Meg. She had her first birthday in August. She is my tiny, funny, happy, adorable little lady.

She has the prettiest eyes.

She only weighed 15 lbs at her 1 year appointment and now, at 15 1/2 months she is up to a whopping 17! She is still in the infant car seat.

She hasn't developed a need for walking quite yet. She will take a few steps but crawling is her preferred method of mobility.

She is a great talker though! Her vocabulary is growing everyday as she loves to mimic what she hears. Her favorite words are "milk", "uh-oh", "no-no", "papa".

She will only give her kisses to Charlie.

This is my gorgeous firstborn, Paige. She turned 9 in October. Paige is a very determined little girl. She is very smart and excels at anything she tries. She is still thriving in piano. She started gymnastics this fall and has already moved up a level. She got a ukulele for her birthday from Auntie Annie and gets very focused on learning her chords. She is my right hand man. I know if I ask Paige to do something, it will get done well.

Haily did not have a birthday recently but I could not leave her out! My blond haired/blue eyed beauty. She recently won an art contest at her school. Her project is now going forward to the regional level.

Haily is such a sweetheart. She has a tiny little high voice. She LOVES to laugh and has recently developed the love of reading! She is my little snuggler. She is enjoying gymnastics as well.

Here we are on Halloween. Meg was a ladybug, Haily a zombie, Paige a Gothic rag doll, and Charlie chose this awesome astronaut costume but decided to go as Ironman instead.

Jon and I attended a fun amazing race party this year. We had a super fun team!

I was asked to MC the talent show at our ward Christmas party this year. My friend Gingy helped me demonstrate several different methods of applause. It was fun dressing so festive!

Here we are discovering who has a talent for shaking their booty. Turns out the winner cheated. Sad. That kid is on my bad list.

Here is my lovely co-host, Michelle, in her stirrup pants and sweet sweater vest.

It's such a fun time of year with so many things happening. Lots of gatherings with family and friends. I feel so blessed and grateful.

MACHINE GUN FIRE

2010-09-22T11:13:00.001-07:00

Sunday afternoon, Camp Williams was doing machine gun practice when a spark started a fire on the mountain behind our neighborhood. We could smell the smoke first and then we could see a cloud of smoke rising from behind the peak. We went to dinner at Jon's parents' house not really thinking much of it.
A few hours later, Jon's dad, a sergeant on a nearby city's police department, got called to go assist with traffic control and possible evacuations. Jon went along.
He didn't realize it but he had taken our car keys with him, so his mom drove the kids and me home. When we arrived at home, we could
see flames appearing on the crest of the mountaintop. I called Jon and he said they had just made the decision to evacuate our area so to start packing!
Here are the pictures I took from my front porch as we were preparing to leave:

I got 2 changes of clothes for everyone, computers, cameras, photos, Jon's work stuff, cell phones, ipod, toothbrushes. Paige started to worry when I began taking photos off the wall. I kept reassuring her that everything would be alright.
We drove back to my in-laws house, which is about 4 miles away. It was such a weird sight to see EVERYONE out in the streets loading their cars with things. The roads were packs but the police did a great job manging the traffic. It didn't feel panicked at all. Just surreal. The hillside was ablaze! By the time we left, the fire had surged halfway down the hill. I was making peace with the very real possibility that I was saying goodbye to my home and neighborhood for the last time. We spent the night wondering what we would come home to the next day.

We ended up staying evacuated until Tuesday night at about 8:30. This is a photo of the national guard and police keeping us from going up to our house:

This is a photo from my front porch the morning after we returned home:

You can see the trench dug is what prevented the fire from spreading and destroying homes.

This is another from my front porch:

The entire mountain is black.

The helicopters were dipping into the reservoir in an effort to douse the hot spots. It was so windy and dry Monday and Tuesday they were afraid the flames would kick up again.

Here is an aerial photo taken by the press:

You can see our house. On the bottom of the photo right in the middle is a culdesac. There is an empty lot and ours is the house to the left of it.

This is another photo from the AP. The light colored house on the right is next to ours.

Another aerial shot. This is up a block from our house. You can see the fire came close enough to melt the fence but didn't damage the home.

It's funny the things that came to my mind as I was packing. Some of the things that ran through my mind were

1. I just organized my master closet and kitchen pantry. What a waste! It's just going to burn up, whether it's organized or messy!

2. We had just landscaped our yard this summer after 3 years of being at this house. I didn't want my trees to burn! I wondered if the one year warranty covered fire damage?

3. We had borrowed an air mattress from my sister a few weeks prior for our camping trip and I wanted to be sure we got that!

I told the kids that one day they would be driving their kids to dance class and their kids would say, "tell me a story about when you were a kid!" and they would tell about the fire. So, I began to tell the story up to the point where we spent the night at grandma's house. Then Haily said, "but we don't know how it will end." We decided to take turns making up endings to the story. It started out with:

"The firemen got the fire out during the night and we went home in the morning and everything was back to normal."

And it ended up with:

"our house burned to the ground and we got to live in St George for a year while we built a new house with a pool and jetted tubs in all the bathrooms"...and on and on.

At that point I began to think of things that I wouldn't mind offering to the fire. My wardrobe for starters. It would be awesome to start from scratch and create a whole new (paid for) wardrobe! Haily's dresser with the top drawer missing. My washer and dryer (the first and only ones we've owned that we bought just before Paige was born). Meg's crib that we have rigged with bungee cords to keep the railing up, also purchased 9 years ago and used by 4 babies. Our kitchen table. Although it isn't old, it is well worn.

I learned a few things in this experience. First, I'm proud to be a part of a community that is so well prepared for disaster. I feel more at ease knowing that.

Second, I know that if the time ever comes that my family and I do have to leave our home forever, we will be OK. I know there would be emotional moments and that it wouldn't be easy, but I know we would be able to do it. It wouldn't break us.

Third, I learned what a home is. The thought of the house burning seemed survivable. It's just a structure. It's the life that happened in the house that makes it a home. The memories that live in the halls and rooms. The laughter, the tears, the celebrations, the sorrows, the love. The moments of life that are the real value. Those things are the soul of the home. And those things cannot be destroyed!

That being said, I recognized the value of having your own little piece of the world to call your own. I place that you've spent your life creating, building, and setting up. A place that reflects who you are. A place where you can be yourself. A place you have ownership in. As my friend said, I've never been more grateful to come home to a messy house!

What an experience! One I will never forget. And in the end, am grateful to have gone through.

Grassroots Music Night

2010-09-17T14:04:00.001-07:00

I've had an idea for a few months now to host a concert in my backyard. Jon and I are big fans of live music and I always love to throw a party! I started asking around the people I know who are musically inclined and we ended up with a great little program! We decided to call it Grassroots Music Blend since the performers were amateurs among us! Here were the performers:

This is my sister, Annie:

She is a totally talented singer with really cool taste in music! She plays the ukulele too. It's so relaxing to listen to. She played some covers, like Somewhere Over the Rainbow, and then did a few songs that she wrote herself. It was awesome!

This is our friend Daren:

and his brother, Jared:

They are in a band but performed just the two of them at Grassroots. I have very fond memories of Daren playing guitar and all of us singing Blackbird back in the glory days of Utah State! They played stuff they wrote and it was so impressive!

These are my cousins, Jade and Jaron:

They are so rad. They played a bit of Journey, Muse, and some others too. I don't know why I got such a sparse endowment of musical talent when the rest of my family was doused in it! Anyway, the crowd loved these guys!

This is my friend and neighbor, Aubrey:and her sister, Janessa:

They did some numbers solo and some duet. My favorite was Maybe by Ingred Michaelson. Both are so talented and easy to listen to!

Some pictures from the night:

We had such a great time! I'm so lucky to be surrounded by so many talented people who are willing to share their talents! We've decided to make this an annual event! So, look for details next summer because you're all invited!

Camping at Bear Lake

2010-09-16T21:01:00.001-07:00

Over labor day weekend we went camping with some friends at Bear Lake. We had such a fun time! We drove up Friday afternoon and set up camp. It was our first time camping in a tent! I was nervous about how our family would do, especially Meg. Everyone did great! Meg slept inside the sleeping bag with me to keep warm. She woke up quite a bit the first night, and a little less the second.

Of course, we had to enjoy a raspberry shake!

I brought these finger lights and everyone had fun with them!

Fishing was probably the favorite activity of the kids. Jon brought all the stuff and taught them. They didn't catch anything despite their efforts! Oh, wait! I almost forgot! The last night they caught a frog. They were setting up traps for crawdads and brought back a frog.

They loved playing in the water all afternoon. The water wasn't as cold as we anticipated, which was nice.

The highlight of the trip had to be the bedtime story read by Lance. Ira Sleeps Over. The kids were so entertained! As were the adults, to be honest. He did a great job! In fact, Paige said she wants him to come to her birthday party and read books to her guests!

Meg enjoyed splashing in the water and sand too. I gave her a bath in the sink, which she did not appreciate as much.

There's our tent, in the top left corner!

I think the kids made some great memories with their friends.

Beautiful scenery, good company, delicious food! It was a fun adventure for our family that I hope we get the chance to do again soon!

Mapleton Moonlight Half Marathon

2010-08-28T21:42:00.000-07:00

SOLO.

FORECAST: MINI MONSOON. Poncho packed.

RAINBOW!! DOUBLE RAINBOW. good omen.

Chat with old friend in minivan.

Watermelon SportsBeans.

"Solo" on the loud speaker. GOOD OMEN.

9:30 pm. go!

DARK. pitch black. eyes playing tricks on me.

LIT UP!

Perfect weather.

Loud cricket chirping.

Runnin, runnin, and runnin runnin.

More Sportsbeans.

Not enough water.

Out of the canyon. Mountain silhouette. Beautiful.

Run/walk last 3 miles.

Fireworks!

Finish line!

Little Caesar's. Magelby's chocolate cake. Water.

Too much water. Nauseous.

HURT. Legs, hips, ribs, knees, feet.

Campfires.

Drive home.

MEGA ibuprofen. Shower. Bed.

Wasatch Back 2010 - Team Gingerbread Men

2010-08-24T22:20:00.000-07:00

I never posted about my experience doing the Ragnar Relay; the Wasatch Back, this year! Here is our team's video that we submitted for a contest. My friend, Aubrey, came along and shot video then edited it for us. She is so great!

Such a fun race! I recommend it to everyone!

family picutes in Logan

2010-08-19T13:58:00.000-07:00

We recently got pictures taken with my side of the family in Logan. I thought they turned out great! One of my brothers moved to Florida shortly after and another is leaving on his mission next week! If anyone needs a photographer in Logan, I highly reccommend this one!

Soccer, Sprouts, and Shimmies

2010-06-13T19:53:00.000-07:00

The girls played on a soccer team together this spring. Jon was able to help coach them to a 6-1 season! White Lightening's only loss was against an undefeated team who had been playing together for 3 years. They lost 2-1. That "1" was scored by Paige, and was the only goal EVER to be scored on that team!

We also recently planted the garden! We had to wait a little longer this year because we had snow up until the end of May!

We chose to plant peas, corn, lettuce (romaine and mixed), pumpkin, cantaloupe, tomatoes, and bell peppers (red and green).

Each child also picked out a packet of flower seeds which they planted in their own little areas. I can't wait for them to come up!

The school put on a dance festival in which each grade performed a dance representing a certain decade within the last 50 years. Then the whole school did Party in the USA together. It was so cute!

Haily's grade did the Twist!

Haily is the one with the pink baseball cap on.

And Paige's did Achy Breaky Heart.

Recent Happenings.

2010-04-29T10:26:00.000-07:00

Making Money.
My kids are entrepreneurs. They have sold things from the classic lemonade to Otter Pops, to rocks. Their latest venture was artwork. They would create a masterpiece, put it in a grocery sack, hop in their Power Wheels, and go door to door selling the art for a quarter a piece.

Next, they choreographed a dance performance that consisted of 3 numbers. They made invitations that read:

"Please come to a dance show. When: Tues at 7:30. Where: in the circle. The dancers will be: (their names along with their neighbor friend) We are trying to make money. We will put a bucket out and you can put money in if you want.

They then delivered the invitations to EVERYONE in our circle, including those that I think may have been annoyed by the whole thing. After the deliveries had been made, they told me the plan!

Thankfully, it got rained out and they haven't brought it up since.

Cupcake Cousins Cooking Club.
The kids like to get together with their cousins when they are off track and have a cooking club. We made a giant cupcake with the new cereal "Cupcake Pebbles". I think it was more fun to make than it was to eat!

Here is a yummy and cute carrot cake I made! When Paige noticed the orange flecks inside the cake she asked what they were and all the kids were astonished to learn that carrot cake actually has carrots in it!

Easter Clothes.

Skiing one last time.

Naps.

I found Charlie napping like this:
and like this:

Tulips.

Charlie, my mother-in-law Julie, and I went to the Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point with Charlie's playschool class. There were 250,000 bulbs planted! These were one of my favorites:

Soccer.

The girls started Spring soccer. They are on the same team and Jon is helping coach! They won their first game!

Here is a creative note Paige left for me one night:
We're keeping busy with life!
By the end of the day I usually end up like this:
lying on the floor surrounded by my brood.

Control

2010-04-14T21:00:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about the word CONTROL a lot lately.

Trying to get my life under control.

"Someone, control those kids!"

Been told I'm "controlling" That doesn't sound like a good thing!

One quote from Elder Holland's talk in general conference stood out to me. He said "the only real control in life is self-control".

So, I'm making more of an effort to control the things in life which I can. I am also trying to encourage my kids to do the same, learn self-control. Here are a few steps I've taken:

1 - FINALLY, got Meg sleeping through the night.

After having a near emotional breakdown at the pediatrician's office, I decided it was time! She had been on a particular bad stretch as far as sleeping goes and I was beat. She has also been very stubborn about eating, refusing a binky or a bottle! I've felt very tied down for the past 7 months so say the least!

My doctor said 4 nights. I knew besides getting through the anxiety of listening to her scream, I had to get the kids AND JON through it. So, I chose to start on a weekend so that the kids wouldn't have to get up for school the next day of they last a lot of sleep. Also, Jon was not going to be around and I didn't tell him my plan.

Night 1: I laid her in her bad already asleep. She woke up a couple hours later and cried for about 2 hours and 15 minutes. I went in her room on and off to reassure her that I didn't abandon her.

Night 2: Laid her in her bed awake but tired. She cried for about 20 minutes, fell asleep, was awakened by Charlie, cried for an hour. Woke up in the middle of the night and cried for about half hour.

Night 3: Went to bed awake, fussed for less than 2 minutes. Woke up about 45 minutes later. cried for 15 minutes, slept through the night!

Night 4: went down awake. slept through the night!

2 - Thought of a new motivational plan for the kids.

PEBBLES!

Who would've thought that a pile of small rocks could get kids to do homework, chores, practice piano, almost anything really!

They each have their own box. They earn a pebble for doing things. They lose a pebble for bad behavior. They earn prizes along the way as they reach marked points on their boxes. So far so good. Pebbles are very valuable in our home.

I'm proud of my little gems!

MUSE

2010-04-12T10:58:00.000-07:00

The stars all aligned and I was able to go to the Muse concert with Jon and a bunch of other friends. This was Jon's 5th time, my first. If there is one passion in his life, it is MUSE. I have to admit, they are pretty incredible! I've been listening to their album on my runs lately and it so rocks.

Anyway, I wasn't sure I would be able to go until the last minute, the night before. We have a hard time finding a babysitter. It was on a school night and I can't leave Meg for very long because that stubborn little cutie will ONLY nurse! (more on that to come in another post...) Ben's girlfriend. Sara ended up doing it and she was awesome!! Thanks SOOO much!

I had to go late, missing the opening band, which was OK with me except that Jon went at 2 in the afternoon to wait in line so he could be front row! So I was going to have to fight the wild crowd to find him, and everyone else.

It took me about an hour and a half to get there when it normally takes about 1/2 hour because the traffic was so crazy! PLUS, a blizzard started as I was driving. I had to park about a mile away and run in the blizzard with only a light jacket!

I had missed the first 2 songs, which were my favorites, and then it was time to push my way up!! I was so brave, and bold. This is a hard thing for me to do. Jon said I wouldn't be able to and told me to just stand in the back. (nice.) But, then there was my sister Annie! I made it about 2/3 the way up and then she came for me!! She grabbed my hand and we marched up to where everyone was!! YEAH!!! "That's what sisters do!" she said.

Here is a little video clip:

Jon got in 2 fights with the same skinny little Utah County dweeb trying to show off for his girlfriend and act tough and cool, clearly he was neither. Just adds to the adrenaline of the rock concert experience, I guess. And the best part is...besides literally being on the front row against the bar, Jon caught a pick! It was a fun night!

little kids

2010-03-11T21:57:00.001-08:00

This is what Charlie wore to bed tonight:

And here he is enjoying a grilled cheese at Downtown Philly:
This is Meg's (and my) new favorite:

My new BFF

2010-03-06T10:55:00.000-08:00

I've been telling Jon for a while now that I need a new BFF. A particular type of friend. I need a Will to my Grace.

So Jon found one for me. Here he is:

WARNING: He swears a couple times at the end. Not bad swears.

Great Grandpa

2010-03-02T12:03:00.000-08:00

We recently went to St George for a week while the kids were off track to get some sun and enjoy some time away. We did a lot of fun things while we were there.

Hiking,

Shopping,

walks in the park,

feeding the ducks...

..from inside the car because they are so fiesty! One bit Charlie as they had him pinned against the back bumper. He kept nervously repeating, "they won't hurt you!" until they attacked and we ran for the door.

We saw a house burn down...

and we went swimming! Granpa Kay came with because Jon had to get some work done. He took Charlie through the mens locker room while I took the girls through the women's. The girls got out to the pool first and I watched as Charlie and Grandpa came walking out hand in hand, Charlie shivering from the pre-requisite shower. Grandpa stayed with Charlie the whole time. It was so heart warming to watch! How many kids get to have memories of swimming with their great-grandpa? Or even their grandpa? It was so special!

I'm back...

2010-02-09T10:39:00.000-08:00

It's been too long but I finally got my computer back (and my life back) so I'm just going to post some photos of the last few months and hopefully get back in the swing of blogging!

Meg

2009-09-08T22:50:00.000-07:00

Sorry but this post will not have any pictures yet!! My computer crashed so I am using Jon's and need to figure things out when I have more time.
Anyway, wanted to update everyone on the birth of our baby now that it's been almost 2 weeks! Time flies so much faster outside the womb.
I was scheduled for a C-section on Friday the 28th of August but convinced myself she would come sooner because Charlie was born at 38 weeks. That did not happen. So on Friday morning Jon and I went to the hospital at 6am and at 747 out little cutie was born. She weighed 7 lbs 7 oz and was 19 inches long. She has a lot of dark hair, mostly in the back. None of out other kids have had that much hair or hair that dark. We are hoping it won't all rub off!
I was in the hospital until Monday. My mom came and stayed with us for almost a whole week, which is such a life saver. Everything is so calm and peaceful when she is here. The kids are better behaved, the house is clean, food is delicious, and I just feel like everything will be OK. Needless to say I cried like a baby when she left!
I've had a lot of help from my mother-in-law and generous neighbors too. Meg is a great eater and nights have gotten a LITTLE but better. She just likes to eat every 2-3 hours but she'll go back to sleep after she's fed. The other kids can't get enough of her. Paige and Haily adore her and are such great helpers. Charlie is so tender and loving with her. He has been very gentle so far.
The girls went back to school today so things have quieted down during the day. Overall, I feel we are all adjusting pretty well. For me, having 4 kids isn't too much harder. Probably because my older 2 are so helpful, can go and play outside by themselves, and are in school all day.
We are so happy to have this little cutie in our house. There is nothing like a newborn baby! We welcome anyone who wants to come peek at her, just call first please! :)
I will get pictures up as soon as I find a minute!

Gardening: 1st Year

2009-08-18T15:51:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos we took over the past few months of the progress of our first ever garden! We are enjoying lots of peas, zucchini, tomatoes, and carrots. Our corn did not turn out, and the watermelon and cucumbers didn't even come up! But we had fun and will surely do it again next year!
Here are Jon and the kids shoveling soil and manure into the garden spot.

Here are the kids doing some weeding.

Charlie watering:
And Haily harvesting some carrots:

Reality Check

2009-07-15T12:19:00.000-07:00

I know that someday, a long time from now, I will be able to see the humor in this story. It's a comedy of errors I suppose. So many things went wrong that at some point all you can do is laugh.

Last fall, some friends and I went to the New Kids on the Block concert here in Salt Lake City. (You can read the complete post.) We had the time of our lives and not only rediscovered an old love from the early teenage years but fell in love with the NEW New Kids. More on that to come...

Ever since then, we watched their blog for announcement of another tour, especially if they were to come back to Salt Lake. As it turned out the closest they would be coming was to Las Vegas. We HAD to go!! How could we make that happen? I would be 7 weeks away from having my baby. Also, we would want really good seats this time around and they were pricey. We hatched a plan to earn the money with a clever online boutique. You can look at it here. We also thought we'd take the families and stay in St. George for the weekend, making a little summer vacation out of it.

After all the work of the boutique, and searching for tickets on ebay and ksl, we earned almost to the exact dollar amount what the tickets ended up costing. It all seemed so meant to be!

Here's how the trip played out:

Michelle's husband had plans on Thursday night so we decided that the kids and moms would go down Thursday and the dads would come together on Friday morning. So, we headed out around 4 pm. When we were just over halfway there, Paige began to feel sick and ended up throwing up once in the car, twice at McDonalds in Beaver, and 3 more times when we got to St. George. I was concerned about the sickness spreading to everyone! So the next day I stayed with Paige at the house while Michelle took the other kids to the neighborhood pool. We had planned on going to a much funner pool but since we only had one car, I had to go back and forth between the house and the pool so we had to stay close. Poor Paige was feeling so left out! However, she was beginning to feel better, had an appetite, and had not thrown up that day.

We expected the guys to arrive around 3 and had planned to go into Zion Park that evening for hiking and dinner. Due to several various delays, which I won't even begin to explain, the guys didn't get there until 7:30. We spent the afternoon at a splash park in downtown St. George and getting ice cream.
By the time the guys got there everyone was starving for dinner so we headed straight to Zions. We got there about 8 and discovered all the places that served food within the park were closed. We were already on the shuttle so decided to do the hike and eat on our way home. It was then Paige began to feel sick again. We were just waiting for her to puke on the shuttle to the delight of the grumpy driver. Luckily she didn't, maybe because her stomach was empty! However, she did not feel up to the hike so Jake kindly pushed her in the stroller while Jon carried Charlie.

The hike was called Weeping Rock and it was actually really pretty and the evening weather was pleasant. We headed home after that since it was getting dark and we were all hungry. I took my kids straight home and put them to bed. The fatigue took over the hunger and they all fell asleep on the car ride. The rest of us ate pizza around midnight.

The next day we decided to spend at Sand Hollow Reservoir. Michelle and I went to the store to get a picnic lunch then we all got packed and ready at the house. Paige was feeling fine, however, Charlie was a little hot with a fever. Tylenol and Motrin seemed to do the trick.
We kept Charlie resting in the shade and drinking lots of fluids. After a while he perked up and took a dip in the water. We all had a great time but Michelle and I had to get back to the house to get ready to go to Vegas!! We got all showered and dressed and hit the road.

On the way there Jon called to tell me he had decided to take Charlie in to Instacare because his breathing sounded raspy and still had the fever. While Michelle and I were eating (possibly the WORST meal of our lives) he called again to say that the Dr. thought Charlie had pneumonia and wanted him to go to the ER. Charlie's breathing was shallow and rapid, his oxygen levels were low, and it wasn't improving. I began to feel worried about the seriousness, about Charlie wanting his mommy, and also about how well Jon was doing on his own. Jake was stranded at the house with the rest of the kids and I was worried that Paige and Haily would be scared and worried and not have a parent there for them. I was really fighting back the tears and called Jon because I just really needed to be reassured that everything was going to be OK. He told me it was fine, Charlie was already perking up. Told me to have fun and enjoy myself. He also promised to text me throughout so I wouldn't have to worry. I felt so much better! Into the concert we went!
We had general admission tickets so we were on the floor about 10 rows back from the stage. This is a picture I took with my camera (not zoomed in) of the first act, the Jabbawockeez, a really cool dance group. They won me over when they did a little tribute to Michael Jackson! It was during this act when I got a text from Jon. It said that Charlie was really struggling, that HE was having a hard time, and needed me to call. I went out into the foyer and called. I asked what was going on. He said "I don't know what to tell you. All I know is that our little boy is struggling to breathe, he has tubes coming out all over him."

The image in my head was NOT good, and I could see that my husband needed some support too. I ran back in and got Michelle. I didn't know weather or not everything was going to be OK, and even if it was, I knew I needed to be with my family. We had a long, sad, disappointing 2 hour car ride to the hospital. Michelle was so understanding and kind about the whole thing. She never complained once or questioned my decision.
Charlie had to stay in the hospital until his breathing was under control, which ended up being about 24 hours. He had an IV, oxygen mask, and monitors. I stayed with him overnight while Jon went back to the house to get some rest and be with the girls. After the tests, X-rays, and exams, we are still not 100% sure of the diagnosis. Some doctors thought pneumonia, while others thought it was a virus that attacked the lungs and caused an asthma like response. He had to do breathing treatments at home every four hours for a few days but has seemed to have made a full recovery with the exception of a residual cough. When I carried him out and he saw his sisters for the first time, this is the face he did.

For the first few days I was just concerned about Charlie and grateful that he was well. Then it hit me. We had missed the concert after all that planning, preparation, and anticipation. Jon felt so bad he tried and tried to figure out how we could go to Denver to catch the show but it just didn't work out. I really started to analyze why it was such a big deal. Here is my explanation, which will also clarify why I love the NEW New Kids so much.

Everyone gets worn out with the duties and responsibilities of their lives. Everyone needs a break here and there, a little escape. I feel this is especially true for mothers.

The New Kids are seriously so brilliant in their marketing. They KNOW their fan base so well. They know we are mostly 30 something moms and wives who crave validation. The concert is really not about the music, although the music is truly GOOD, it's about the experience. The message you get is this: "You are a beautiful, interesting, fun, exciting woman. I notice you...for YOU, not just for your kids and family, but as an individual." It makes you feel young and free again. Takes you back to the days before life got so complicated and you took on so many responsibilities. So many people want that. Going to a New Kids concert with fun friends is a totally safe, acceptable, fun way to get it.

So, getting a phone call from my HUSBAND about my sick CHILD was so opposite of the experience I was seeking. It was a huge reality check! "You are a MOM! You can never walk away from that obligation even if you want to because that is where your HEART is. You are in your 30's (so OLD), you are PREGNANT (so NOT sexy). You belong at home with your family not here."

It's taken me some time to come to terms with that. Maybe it's knowing that in a few short weeks I will have a new little one to take care of and will REALLY be tied down for a while. But what I know to be true is that this time in life goes so fast. My babies grow up. I wouldn't give up motherhood for anything. There is a time for everything, including rock concerts, and right now is my time to ENJOY being a mother, no matter how I try to fight it! : )

P.S. I also believe that pregnant moms can feel just as young, fun, and sexy as ANYONE else!

4th of July

2009-07-13T15:19:00.000-07:00

This year, the festivities began with a girls get-away with some friends to Island Park. Some of the photos, including the one above, were taken by my talented friend, Katie. This was one of the many gorgeous views we had during a nice morning walk.

We went into West Yellowstone and walked through the shops. Of course we made a mandatory stop for ice cream! We also ate dinner in a cute little old fashioned diner where we had the most delicious sandwiches. The candy shop was a fun one too. Jolene especially loved her coconut long boys.
We laughed so hard playing games later that night. It was such a good time.

I loved being with these gals so much! It had been WAY too long! Shyla and I are both having baby girls later this year! We missed KA! Thanks to the Perkes for allowing us to use their cabin. It was the perfect quiet, relaxing get away.

The next night we roasted hot dogs and s'mores at Jake's house.

This pedal car is the kids' favorite thing! They love riding it!

The night of the 3rd we went to a neighborhood fireworks display which has grown so much they had it computerized and had to get a permit from the city. Needless to say, it was pretty exciting!
For some more than others.
We also got to see our family friends, the Bransons, who I haven't seen in years! They are such good people and we enjoyed the yummy home made ice cream my mom made while catching up.

The next morning was the parade. I loved it and the kids did too. Who doesn't love a parade?
Then is was time for a good ol' barbeque! Perfect weather, yummy food, lots of family and friends.

That night was the BIG show. IF is perfect because it's a small town feel with some big bucks to back up an amazing display. They choreograph it to music which is played on the radio. I heard that around 100,000 people attend each year. They all gather around the banks of the snake river, right by the temple, and set up blankets and chairs and food. It all starts early on in the day so you can get a good seat. This year, our friend Crook, went early and sectioned off an area for us. It was seriously the best seats I've ever had. The ash and cardboard shells were falling on us like rain!

Haily enjoyed fireworks much better with these headphones. Thanks uncle Jake.

My favorite time of year! And all my favorite people!

I am so blessed.

just a reminder!

2009-06-25T08:16:00.000-07:00

Most of you have probably already seen this but in case you haven't, or as a friendly reminder...

My friend Michelle and I are doing a super FUN, CRAZY, fundraiser in an effort to earn a little extra money in this economy for one last ultimate girls night out! (Details are on the website below. :) )

It is an on-line boutique selling yummy hand made specialty goodies, magnets, and cute hair clips, t-shirts, and bows for little girls. They make great gifts too if you are going to a baby shower, or want to take a treat to someone, birthday, whatever!

The website is www.summertimesweetsboutique.blogspot.com
Take a quick look and see if anything strikes your fancy! And if you feel so inclined, pass the link on to anyone you think might be interested!

We are taking orders until Sunday and they will be delivered or shipped by Wednesday. All the info is on the site!

Thanks Wonderful Women!

2009-06-23T16:49:00.001-07:00

After my last post I got so many wonderful comments, phone calls, texts, and emails that really uplifted me. I am truly thankful to be surrounded by such supportive, strong, understanding, loving, and sensitive women!
Here are two things that were emailed to me that I wanted to post for all to enjoy. Thanks to Shyla and Sarah for sending them to me.

"Invisible Moms"
It all began to make sense, the blank
stares, the lack of
response, the way one of the kids will walk into
the room while I'm on
the phone and ask to be taken to the store.
Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't
you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously not; no one
can see if I'm on the
phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or
even standing on my head in
the corner, because no one can see me at all.
I'm invisible. The
invisible Mom.

Some days I am only a pair of hands,
nothing more: Can you fix
this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?
Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm
not even a human being.
I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a
satellite guide to answer,
'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car
to order, 'Right around
5:30, please.' I was certain that these were
the hands that once held
books and the eyes that studied history and the
mind that graduated
summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared
into the peanut butter,
never to be seen again. She's going, she's
going, she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having
dinner, celebrating the
return of a friend from England . Janice had
just gotten back from a
fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about
the hotel she stayed
in. I was sitting there, looking around at the
others all put together
so well. It was hard not to compare and feel
sorry for myself as I
looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the
only thing I could find
that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up
in a hair clip and I was
afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in
it. I was feeling pretty
pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a
beautifully wrapped package,
and said, 'I brought you this..' It was a book
on the great cathedrals
of Europe . I wasn't exactly sure why she'd
given it to me until
I read her inscription: 'To Carol , with
admiration for the
greatness of what you are building when no one
sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no,
devour - the book.. And I
would discover what would become for me, four
life-changing truths,
after which I could pattern my work: No one can
say who built the great
cathedrals - we have no record of their names.
These builders gave
their whole lives for a work they would never
see finished. They made
great sacrifices and expected no credit. The
passion of their building
was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God
saw everything. A
legendary story in the book told of a rich man
who came to visit the
cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a
workman carving a tiny
bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled
and asked the man, 'Why
are you spending so much time carving that bird
into a beam that will be
covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.'
And the workman
replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing
piece fall into place.. It
was almost as if I heard God whispering to me,
'I see you, Charlotte. I
see the sacrifices you make every day, even when
no one around you does.
No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've
sewn on, no cupcake
you've baked, is too small for me to notice and
smile over. You are
building a great cathedral, but you can't see
right now what it will
become.'

At times, my invisibility feels like an
affliction.. But it is
not a disease that is erasing my life. It is
the cure for the disease
of my own self-centeredness.. It is the antidote
to my strong, stubborn
pride. I keep the right perspective when I see
myself as a great
builder. As one of the people who show up at a
job that they will never
see finished, to work on something that their
name will never be on.
The writer of the book went so far as to say
that no cathedrals could
ever be built in our lifetime because there are
so few people willing to
sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't
want my daughter to tell
the friend she's bringing home from college for
Thanksgiving, 'My mom
gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade
pies, and then she hand
bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all
the linens for the
table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a
monument to myself. I
just want her to want to come home. And then,
if there is anything more
to say to her friend, to add, 'You're gonna love
it there..'

As mothers, we are building great
cathedrals. We cannot be seen
if we're doing it right. And one day, it is
very possible that the
world will marvel, not only at what we have
built, but at the beauty
that has been added to the world by the
sacrifices of invisible women..

And this is a great quote from Sheri Dew:
"Here is the truth about womanhood. Our Father gave His daughters a divine endowment
of gifts that give us unique influence. First and foremost, we have the high privilege of
bearing children. If mortality is the time in all eternity to prove ourselves, then there is
nothing more important than bearing children and leading them along the path home.
President David O. McKay said that, 'motherhood is the greatest potential influence . . .
in human life'(Improvement Era, 1953, 452).
Our Father also gifted us with the nature to nurture, keen sensitivity to the Spirit,
selflessness, discernment, and heroic faith. No wonder our Father placed us at the heart of
the family and thus at the center of the plan of salvation. We are the Lord’s secret
weapon. Pre-mortally, when our Father described our role, we must have shouted for joy
because of the ennobling stature He gave women in His kingdom. The world won’t tell us
this stunning truth, but the Spirit will."

Love you girls!

Lost Identity

2009-06-15T18:28:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday in church, it was our family's turn to be the Spotlight in Primary. This year, since the focus is on families, they do spotlights on the whole family, not just one child. They asked us to come in and tell a little about each person; talents, hobbies, etc. Jon thought it would be fun if we each picked someone to "introduce" rather than talk about ourselves. I think he is just uncomfortable talking about himself but I thought it sounded like a good plan.

So the night before, we sat down to plan out what we were going to say. I wanted the kids to come up with their own ideas, not just say what we told them to say! But I also wanted to make sure it was appropriate!

Paige decided to introduce Jon. She came up with lots of things like:
- He works at home so she gets to see him all the time.
- He plays soccer with her in the backyard and she beats him.
- He teaches her about basketball and the players when they watch the Jazz games together.
- He lets her play his drums.
WOW! He sounds like a great dad. And he must be if that is what his own kids think up to say about him. (PS if it's not clear, I am not disputing this. He is a great dad! :))

Haily chose to introduce me.

She couldn't think of anything. She turned to Paige for some ideas. Paige couldn't think of anything. Jon was silent. Finally, Paige said, "What DO you do, Mom?" Then someone suggested that I like to watch TV. Jon laughed and said "It's true." (I feel like I have to defend myself here because although I do have a handful of shows that I watch regularly, I RARELY watch TV during the day. I almost always DVR it and watch it when the kids go to bed.)

She ended up talking mainly about how I'm going to have a baby and also that I give her medicine when she's sick. She mentioned (with Jon's prompting) that I used to run before I was pregnant. But let's face it, it's not like it's a talent. I'm not GOOD at running!

I started reflecting about myself and who I am, what I do, what I like. I'm left feeling a little lost. I thought, "Maybe I don't have time for hobbies and developing talents because I'm always busy cleaning, cooking, shopping, taking kids here and there, etc." Then I looked around the house. I saw the clutter, the piles of laundry, the empty cupboards. Looks like I haven't been doing those things lately! I really can't take pride in my skills as a housekeeper, organizer, laundress, or cook these days.

In fact, right when we walked in the door after church Jon started telling me that "we" (meaning ME) need to figure out how to better organize the kitchen so there isn't so much clutter in the counter top all the time. I just didn't want to discuss it at that moment so I said, "I know that is important but can we please not talk about it right now?" He goes "UNREAL!" So frustrating.

Has motherhood finally taken over my identity? Is all my energy spent getting the kids to school, helping with homework, putting band-aids on scrapes, paying the bills, and running the household in general? I started to really feel invisible. I mean, yes the kids need someone to feed them, to clean them, and get them to school. But couldn't anyone do that? I feel like a generic "mother" robot. Where is my personality? Who would I be without motherhood?

I'm feeling lost.

Part of me wants to get away alone to "find myself". But really, where would I go and what would I do to accomplish that? And don't you have to "lose yourself in the service of others" to find yourself? But isn't that what I already do?

Jon thinks I'm just "pregnant crazy" I'm sure. And maybe he's right. But these are the thoughts and feelings I'm having these days.

Fun in the SUN

2009-05-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from our recent trip to St. George. We had a great time as a family and look forward to doing it again soon. We did a lot of swimming, went to Zions, and visited Jon's grandparents. It was a perfect trip.

Grandpa Kay took the kids for rides on his riding lawnmower.

Paige really loved the diving rings. She's getting more and more brave with her swimming.

Charlie had a ball too, especially digging into the cooler.
Yes, that's a Barbie life jacket. And yes, we do have a more gender appropriate one for him but he couldn't be talked out of this one. Safety above fashion, I guess.
The ice cream at Zion's was Jon's highlight. It was such a beautiful place and the weather was ideal. It felt like Heaven.

This is the hike we did, Lower Emerald Pool. It was easy and fun, even Charlie could do it. And it was beautiful.

We saw lots of animals. This deer let us get so close!
This squirrel was HUGE!
We tried but had no luck catching a lizard. Maybe next time.

Riding the shuttle was Charlie's favorite thing!
Grandma Jean
The kids loved picking peas from their garden.
Every night the kids were WORN OUT! (And we were too.)
This hummingbird was nesting on the back patio of Grandpa Kay and Grandma Jean's house. The nest was about the size of a golf ball. It was fun to watch.

Student of the Month

2009-05-18T15:27:00.001-07:00

A couple weeks ago, Haily was chosen as the student of the month for her class. The value was "honesty" and her teacher was to choose a student who excelled in that. She chose our sweet Haily!
Jon and I got to go to the school and have lunch with her. She also got to pick out a little notebook and pencil. We are so proud of you, Haily! It was a special day.
Haily's class also did a Nursery Rhyme Theater. Each child chose a short nursery rhyme that they memorized and performed. Haily chose Little Miss Muffet. She did such a cute job. Here is the video clip. The sound in not good but she did great!

Poll results and weekend in Vegas

2009-04-20T20:03:00.000-07:00

Many of you have already heard the results of the ultrasound, but in case you haven't....
It's a girl!! My thoughts? Well, I always suspected it was a girl. However, if it had been a boy I would not have been shocked. In fact, the ultrasound tech said she was only 90% sure so my doctor will have to take a peek at my next appointment to confirm it. All my kids wanted it to be a girl, even Charlie! Jon was certain it was a boy so it took him a good 24 hours to adjust and get excited about it. Now he's thinking we should try once more for a boy. Ummm, not a good time to discuss that idea!
A lot of people have said how Charlie needs a brother. I used to agree until this little conversation I had with him a couple weeks ago.
C: "I'm a girl."
Me: "No, you're a boy."
C: (more insistent) "I'm a GIRL!"
Me: "Well then who will be my little boy?"
C: (pensive) " That baby will." (pointing to my belly)
So, hopefully now he will feel the responsibility to take on the role of the son! Love him!

After the ultrasound, Jon and I headed out to St. George. We stayed there for one night and the next day drove into Vegas. I was really looking forward to a little getaway in the sun to relax and have fun! That night we went to a Killers concert at the Joint at the Hard Rock. It was a brand new place..The Killers were the first show! We had great seats. I've never had GA tickets before at a crowded, semi-rowdy concert like this. I was a little nervous about my safety and was prepared to brace myself against my brother-in-law Chad who was in front of me. Although it was super crowded and tight, and hard for the vertically challenged to breathe, it wasn't too bad. I did, however, get a cup of beer spilled down my head. And strangely, this is not the first time this has happened to me. (Graduation cruise with girlfriends, chronically drunk man we nicknamed Struggles.) Maybe it was the adrenaline, my vacation personality, or the effects of the "botanical" fumes in the air but for whatever reason, the spill didn't bother me. Here are some pictures and video footage.
Such a good lookin fellow.
I swear at some point we made eye contact.
Playing the piano.
So theatrical, fun to watch!
Chad's friend, Wade, (who vowed not to let anything happen to me if things got crazy and thus became my bodyguard) caught the drumstick they threw out after the encore.
He even let me pose for a picture with it. Keep in mind this is me 5 months pregnant, with beer in my hair, after having rocked out in a sauna for 4 hours.
This is not zoomed in, so you can see we had maybe 8-10 people in front of us.

The next day we had a delicious breakfast with our friends the Paxtons and then spent the day basking in the sun at the pool. I never really enjoyed laying out until after I had kids and could really appreciate the luxury of laying there without interruptions or pressing responsibilities.
Whitney is pregnant with her 4th child too and we are due 3 days apart! We love these guys!
That night after dinner we got the endorphins flowing with a great dose of laughter at the Ray Romano and Kevin James show.
It was so funny! I'm a huge fan of them both and they did not disappoint. Sometimes it just feels so good to laugh and laugh and LAUGH!!

The next morning we headed home. It was a fantastic and much needed break. My sister Annie was kind enough to take care of the kids while we were away. They had a blast with her! She does a great job and we are infinitely appreciative.

Now, it's back to life, chores, responsibilities. I love Vegas because it's a true escape from life. MY life anyway. Las Vegas is a great representation of the opposite of my life. It's nice to have the contrast once in a while. I really do appreciate what I have even more. The place where I live, the people I live near, my kids, my family and home life.

Time to plan the next getaway...

Spring Break

2009-04-12T14:09:00.000-07:00

It's funny how the term "Spring Break" means something completely different now than when I was in college! Last time I remember having a Spring Break I went to Vegas with Jon and met his family for the first time. We'll be doing that again at the end of the week, but without the family this time!
Currently, this is the meaning of Spring Break:
DAY 1: Crappy weather, flu, stayed in all day.
DAY 2: Took the kids to see the chicks, ducklings, and bunnies at IFA.
The kids all thoroughly enjoyed it and Paige left determined to have a white bunny. Haily then decided she must have a black one.
Saw the new Hannah Montana movie.
I enjoyed it right along with the kids. I thought it was a great movie about family, hometown, going back to our roots to discover who we really are...a little bit moving. I admit I had some watery eyes, which may have been somewhat hormone induced.
It made me long for the South, particularly Tennessee. Doesn't matter that I've never been. Michelle promised to take me there next Spring, right Michelle? I'm holding you to it.
It was only when we exited the theater that we learned Mylie and Billy Ray Cyrus were there, at the 3:30 showing! We missed them by one hour.
Took Haily to get her ears pierced.
Her birthday is in 6 weeks so we thought it would be perfect timing, she'll be able to take out these (Emerald birthstone) studs on her birthday. She was a little nervous but not really scared. They had two ladies so they could do both at the same time. It turned out to backfire on us because one of them missed the mark the first time and we had to pull it out and do it again! Haily cried just for a few seconds then held really still for the 2nd time. She loves it!
DAY 3 Dyed eggs:
Why is dying eggs so stressful?!?! "Don't spill the colors!" "Keep your hands out!" "Don't drop your eggs!" AHHH!
Went to the Jazz game!
Our super thoughtful neighbors invited us to go with them using their company tickets! Prime rib dinner before, 8th row behind the Warriors bench, free snacks at halftime! Although the Jazz did not play well, and they lost, it was a fun night! Thanks Cory and Amy!
DAY 4 Dressed up the kids.
Paige was sick and stayed home from church. Hopefully they will all we healthy and well, even after all the treats the Easter Bunny dropped off, so they can go back to school tomorrow!

Spring?

2009-04-04T17:55:00.000-07:00

This is April:
Yuck! It's cold, blustery, frozen, windy...WINTERY!
The week before, it was so lovely we got our garden ready to plant and spent the whole day outside. The girls even held their first lemonade stand of the season. And I had to slather them with sunscreen! I myself got a little burn on my arms.
I guess Mother Nature is a bit irritable with some dynamic MOOD SWINGS! But I can't blame her, she is about to give birth to a whole new earth, after all. All the colorful buds and greenery are weeks away from bursting out! I can't wait!
I've never longed for Spring as much as I do now. I want to plant my vegetable seeds and flowers. I want to feel the warmth of the sun on my face. I want to go on a walk outside and let my kids ride their bikes and scooters for hours on end. I want to go to the park for a picnic. I am so tired of being cooped up! OH I love Spring! Especially after a long, cold, isolating winter.

2009-03-31T09:11:00.000-07:00

My ultrasound is just over 2 weeks away, on Thursday April 16th! I added a poll to my blog, over on the right. Vote now on whether you think I'm going to have a girl or a boy! I can assure you it's NOT twins. I will post the results of the ultrasound shortly after I find out! Woo Hoo!

10 years!

2009-03-12T10:49:00.000-07:00

Exactly 10 years ago today at about this time, I was emerging from the Idaho Falls temple hand in hand with my new husband as a married couple, sealed forever! It was a day like today, there was a little snow on the ground but the sun was shining. It was a little chilly but bearable.

As I sit here I think of myself that day as a young new bride. What I had planned, where I thought I was headed, what I expected life to become. Then I think of how things have unfolded. Certainly, we've been thrown some curve balls that we could never have expected. Like everyone, we've endured trials and still do. Sometimes life has been chilly with a little snow.

But on the other hand, the sun is always shining making it bearable! I am so blessed! I have 3 almost 4 beautiful, healthy, smart, dynamic children that I could've only hoped for but never imagined! Jon has always been able to work hard and provide for us so that I can stay home and raise these gems! I live in a fantastic corner of the world in a warm, lovely home. I am surrounded by dear and loyal friends, loving in-laws, and an amazing extended family.

Ten years ago I started down a path, although sometimes bumpy , that brought me here. And because of that, I wouldn't change a thing!

Here's a look back.
This is a cruise we took with a big group of friends in college while we were dating.
Here is one from our wedding day. Actually it was the next day at our 2nd reception in Utah. Looking back I would NOT have had 2 receptions!
This is when Paige was 6 weeks old. The first baby was the hardest adjustment for me, but the joy was unimaginable. Becoming a mom was my life-long dream come true!
Haily is 10 months old here. She and Paige are 19 months apart so they are the best of friends and the worst enemies! Hopefully it will shift more to friendship as they grow. This was on a trip to Hawaii with my family in April of '04. I miss Hawaii!
Here we are in Idaho Falls for the 4th of July! This is the best place to be on the 4th!
This is on the front porch of a house that we designed and built. We loved that house and still miss it. Jon has a love and fascination with the building process and has had some great opportunities with it over the years. Hopefully he will have the chance to do it again.
This is a family picture taken in St. George while we were there for Thanksgiving in '05.

Here is the day we brought Charlie home from the hospital. It was fun to have a boy.
Here we are in Idaho visiting my Great Grandparents.
We love Disneyland! I had never been until after I got married and now I've been 4 times! This time was a trip with my family in March of '08.
This is at the finish of the Top of Utah Marathon in Logan. My cute family brought me to tears as I crossed. It was amazing.
Halloween '08. Party at a friend's house. Dressed as "Twitchington" from so you think you can dance.
Us after the Coldplay concert Nov. of '08. Music is one of Jon's passions and he really enjoys concerts.
We took the family to the Draper Temple open house in January this year. It was so beautiful and a great time to teach the children about eternal families, which is the reason for the temple.
So, today after 10 years, I celebrate the priceless memories we have created as a couple. I celebrate the trials we have overcome, and still are working through, because of the things we have learned and the way they have molded us as individuals and a family. I celebrate the fact that we get to continue this journey together for a long time to come, eternity in fact. And that even if one of us died tomorrow it would only be a brief separation until we would be reunited and continue on our way.

We're off to a great start. It's been difficult and thrilling at the same time. And look how far we've come!

Good Recipes

2009-03-11T17:05:00.000-07:00

I recently tried out two new recipes that were worth passing along. The first is a simple, quick, easy, yummy breadsticks recipe which is also a pizza crust recipe.

1 1/2 cups warm water 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tb yeast 3 cups flour (white, wheat, or combo)
2 Tb sugar
2 Tb olive oil

Dissolve yeast in water. Add sugar, salt, and oil. Mix in flour. Knead for 3 mins. Let dough rest for 10 mins. Roll flat and cut into sticks. Melt some butter on a cookie sheet and dip dough in as you lay them out on the sheet. Can top with seasonings or cheese. Bake at 400 for 20 mins.

The next recipe was passed along by my sister in law Ericka. It is a copy cat of Cafe Rio's pork salad, including the dressing! Now, if someone could only reproduce the tortillas we'd be set! By the way, I've had another recipe for sweet pork but this new one is much better!

PORK (do the night before)
3 1/2 - 4 lb roast
2 T brown sugar
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt

Mix sugar and spices together and rub on pork. Put in crock pot, fat side up, on LOW. (My crock pot seems to cook a little on the hot side so I turned it down to "Keep warm" for a few hours here and there throughout the process to keep it from drying out.)

The next morning add:
1 can coke
1 cup chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped

About an hour before serving shred roast and add:
1 1/2 cups brown sugar

RICE
2 cups rice
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lime squeezed for juice (can add more to taste)

Cook all together (rice cooker works well)

DRESSING
1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing mix
8 oz salsa verde
2 medium garlic cloves
3/4 cup mayo
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp tabasco sauce
1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Mix in blender. Squeeze in lime juice to taste. Chill for several hours.

Assemble on top of a tortilla (the ones you bake yourself are obviously best) with beans, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, cilantro, cheese, and sour cream.

ENJOY!!

Cupcake Cousins Cooking Club

2009-03-06T10:05:00.000-08:00

Trying to entertain my kids while they are off track can present a bit of a challenge, especially when the weather is not conducive to outside play for hours on end. So, I came up with a little idea for this time around. My girls love to cook, or "make experiments" in the kitchen. So, we invited our cousin, Addy, to join us for a cooking club which they titled "The Cupcake Cousins Cooking Club". The first one was last Wednesday at Allie's house where they made chocolate covered marshmallows. I'm still waiting for the pictures from that event.

This week we hosted it at our house and made Berry Bars. The girls sure enjoy it and have their heart sets on being discovered by the Food Network.

Growing Bellly

2009-03-04T08:41:00.000-08:00

I've decided to take a picture of my growing belly every few weeks as a way to document my pregnancy. I've never done this before but since maybe I'm kinda hoping this is the last one...

Anyway, after it's all over I'll post them all back to back. Here is the first one at just over 13 weeks.

I also found some pictures of the kids from their recent trip to St. George.

A special treat

2009-03-03T12:28:00.000-08:00

OK ladies. Turn off my blog music, turn up your sound, get comfy and ENJOY!!!

VH1 TV Shows | Music Videos | Celebrity Photos | News & Gossip

Joey, I miss you. I want this distance between us to be over. I haven't seen you since that dream when I peed in your tub. I know, a little awkward. Let's move past it and work it out. I'll be loving you forever.
XOXOXO
Amy

Calling all stylish women!

2009-02-22T12:11:00.000-08:00

OK girls. I am getting to the point where I am going to have to make some changes in my wardrobe options. Most of you know how hard it is to feel attractive when you are squeezing your curvy body into clothes that are either too tight or look like a tent! So, I am asking for your wisdom! Tell me what worked for you! How did you look stylish when you were pregnant? Comfort has to be #1...we all know how miserable it is to feel like you can't breathe all day and by the time you get home you just want to strip and throw on a huge t-shirt!
Better yet, if anyone has any great maternity clothes that are not currently in use and you wouldn't mind lending out, I'll come take a look and see if anything fits me!
Thanks ladies! And please don't hesitate to leave a comment on this post, and/or pass it along to your stylish friends so they can advise me!

Craft in Forward!

2009-02-20T10:49:00.001-08:00

The first three people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you.This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
1- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2- What I create will be just for you.
3- It'll be done this year.
4- You have no clue what it's going to be.
5- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.
The catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 3 people who do the same on your blog. The first 3 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me! Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!
Who's in?

Kindergarten lunch

2009-02-17T13:59:00.000-08:00

I pick up Haily from the bus today at 12:30 and drive her home. We walk in the door and I ask, "What sounds good for lunch today?" I expected the usual... something along the lines of Dino nuggets, grilled cheese, tomato soup, or the like. Instead I get this answer: "Salmon."
Luckily we have a bunch of frozen fillets in our freezer and I pulled one out and microwaved it for her. AND SHE ATE IT! Interesting girl. She also loves tomatoes, crab, and she'll take fruit over candy almost every time. Wish I had her tastes.

Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T08:59:00.000-08:00

This year, I got the best gift ever...a quiet weekend alone. I know that sounds weird but it's just what I needed. The quiet, rest, and lots of uninterrupted movies on the couch is really giving me a boost to get through these last few (I hope) weeks of miserable sickness.

One thing I've learned for sure is that absence makes the heart grow fonder! I've cried at least once a day because I miss my family so much. So here is my heartfelt Valentine's days tribute to them.
PAIGE! Since the day I knew you were coming I was so in love. You were the most beautiful baby I'd ever seen from the moment I laid eyes on you. Strangers everywhere we went would comment on how beautiful you were. I am so proud of the way you have grown. You have a real curiosity about the world and you are so smart. You are the best big sister and a great help to me. You are so sweet and tender. I love your laugh and your sparkling eyes. I LOVE YOU!
HAILY! Even before you were born I could sense that you were so very sweet. You were and still are my little snuggler. You are such a happy girl. You love to make people laugh. You are a wonderful little friend for Charlie. He loves to play with you. You are so much fun to be with, you brighten up every room. Your voice still melts my heart! You are growing up so fast and I am so proud of you! You are so smart and so laid back. You bring me more joy than you'll ever know. I LOVE YOU!!
CHARLIE! My only son! You make me feel adored like no one else does. Ever since you were a baby you've been my little boyfriend. I didn't realize how much I would love having a boy. You make me laugh everyday. I'm so glad we get to spend so much time together, just you and me, while your sisters are at school. You are so sweet, so smart, so funny, and unique. Your personality and demeanor could not be more lovable. You are so easy to take care of. I LOVE YOU!!
JON! Thank you so much for giving me this time. It was a true gift of selflessness. I know it's not the way you would have preferred to spend Valentine's Day and that sacrifice means so much. You have always supported me in anything I wanted to pursue. From the time I met you, you have always been easy to talk to and you've always make me laugh. I admire and am so grateful for your hard work. Your skill, drive, and ability have made it possible for me to live my greatest desire, to be a full time mom. You are a warrior fighting many battles and that makes you a hero to me. I am so thankful to know that we will be growing, learning, progressing, and loving together forever. Thank you for giving me my three (almost 4) other Valentines. I LOVE YOU!!

Aveda, My Valentine

2009-02-11T11:03:00.000-08:00

I can't express how much I LOVE Aveda. I don't buy it often enough, it's a bit pricey. When it comes to hair, and most beauty products in general, I'm a Wal-Mart shopper. Aussie Sprunch Spray, Suave mousse, and the green and pink mascara seem to do the trick. But once in a while, a girl needs to splurge. And these days, I felt a needed a lift! So I ordered my favorite shampoo and conditioner. It came in the mail yesterday and I am enjoying it today!
Once in a while, I get a whiff of my hair and it makes me so happy! It reminds me of my college girlfriends, especially Kenia Ann and the salon Kakoi!
If you are ever stumped trying to think of a good gift for me for any occasion, go to the Aveda store or website and pick anything! It automatically makes me feel spa pampered right at home every day!

And P.S. I'm craving strawberries these days.

BUGGED!

2009-02-02T12:38:00.001-08:00

I was tagged by my SIL Joc to make a list of 10 things that BUG me. So here goes, and I tag anyone reading this!

1. loud eating

2. chaos

3. Chronic lateness (once in a while I can handle...but not EVERY time!)

4. inappropriate competitiveness. (there's a time and a place, and it's not at a casual family gathering, for example)

5. ignorance (particularly when someone is talking about something like they are an expert and they have no idea what they are talking about.)

6. ingratitude

7. sense of entitlement

8. bad manners regarding bodily functions (burping, spitting, public gas passing...)

9. Sports talk shows because they talk about, analyze, re-hash, discuss...on and on and on about NONSENSE! It's a game!

10. Disrespect.

Grandpa's 80th Birthday Party

2009-01-26T13:36:00.000-08:00

Last weekend my family got together to celebrate my Grandpa's 80th birthday! It was really great to get together with my dad's side of the family. They are a fun, artistic, beautiful, strong group of people who I love and adore. I'm proud of this part of my heritage and was excited to spend the day in honor of Grandpa.
(the whole family)
(just the cousins)

After a lovely lunch we enjoyed a little program. First, Grandma Donna's daughter and son sang a song called "Two Little Boys" that has been a favorite of my Grandpa's since he was a little boy. Then my dad read a poem that my Grandpa loved when he was little and used to have his sister read to him every night before bed. Then there were various musical numbers including my sister who played the fiddle,
and my cousin Emily who sang a song while her brother Jason played the drum. This girl is so bursting with artistic talent, she should be famous someday.

I loved looking at the old photos of my Grandpa that were displayed as well as a few newspaper articles about him. Hearing some memories from his life from his kids was touching. I always remember going to his barber shop in Idaho Falls and getting a sucker. He still calls me his Little Firecracker because I was born on the 5th of July. He loves football, especially IF High School and BYU. I loved going to his house for fresh raspberries with cream and sugar. He usually has a couple of cows on his property and a coup full of birds that he loves to tend to. I love you Grandpa! Happy Birthday!

Draper Temple Open House

2009-01-17T13:29:00.001-08:00

Friday afternoon we took the kids to the Draper Temple Open House. Charlie saw me getting ready and said, "I go get dressed go to temple." Then he went and pulled his tux from Ericka's wedding out of his drawer and put it on, without a shirt. He also had a pair of sunglasses on top of his head! He climbed into his crib and fell asleep.
When everyone was dressed and ready, we went to a nearby church where the tour began. There, you watch a short video about temples in general. The schedule was running behind and because we were short on time, we chose to skip the video. I wish we could have seen it! We had to wait quite a while before we could get on the bus. Hopefully they will be able to improve the busing system for the rest of the tour days. Here we are on the bus.When you get to the temple, you walk through a long tented tunnel that leads to the entrance. The interior is SO BEAUTIFUL! I've been in a handful of temples and they are all beautiful but I really loved this one. The wood was so stunning! It was African Cherry imported from the West Coast of Africa. The windows were also breathtaking. Most of all, the chandelier in the Celestial Room was amazing. The ceiling was so high and the light fixture seemed to go up forever. It was so brilliant and reflected a full spectrum of glittering colors. There was no photography allowed within the temple so go see it for yourself! The open house goes until March 14th.

When you come out, you go back through the tunnel and into the church next door where there were some delicious cookies (don't miss out!!) and you could have any questions answered. Then we had to wait a while again to get on a bus back to our car.

It was really a memorable experience, especially for the kids I hope. They were excited to get to go in. They were most interested in seeing where the weddings take place. We had a neat moment inside a sealing room looking into the mirrors that go on forever as a family. I'm glad we did it, even with all the waiting involved and look forward to spending time there in the future. I recommend everyone go!

Learning

2009-01-15T15:10:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't like to help, right? I do! I love the opportunity to do a little something that means a lot to someone else. It warms the heart. It makes me feel like a good person.

What I'm not good at is asking for help myself. I guess I've always wanted to be the "strong one" who can handle everything. The fighter, who will hold the world up on her shoulders, and keep her family intact. I'm now learning a new facet of strength.

The strength to know your own limits. The strength to know it's OK to ask for help, and still feel like a respectable person. Along with that, a greater respect for those whom I have served. And I feel much less likely to pass judgment on someone in need.

I've been compelled to humility by my pregnancy and the associated sickness. I think I expected too much of my husband, and myself. He gave me a beautiful Priesthood blessing the other night in which I was taught many Divine lessons. Among other things, he said to ask for help when needed because there are people around me who need the chance to serve. I guess that's the backwards way to get me to do it....so that I think I am the one doing the favor!

I truly, truly do appreciate all those who have been so kind and thoughtful already. It really lifts the spirits to know there are people who care and will help without judging. It's a very tender way to create closeness between people.

So, feel free to decline, but expect me to learn from this experience by being more open and honest with my needs and more willing to accept help. The ironic thing is, once I came to this realization, a huge stress burden was lifted and I already felt a lot better physically. The Lord works in mysterious ways. He will ALWAYS give you opportunities to learn what you need in order to be your best self. And most the time, those around you learn through you too.

Seven Weeks

2009-01-08T18:02:00.000-08:00

I promise I won't bore you with constant pregnancy updates for the next 7 months but THIS post is going to be just that!

We had fun telling the rest of our family on Christmas day. Jon's parents came over to see what Santa had brought the kids. The last gift they saw was the note, which Julie read out loud. She said at first she thought it was going to be a dog! They seemed excited.

That night we went to Logan to spend time with my family. The last gift to be opened was to my parents and was a note similar to the one we wrote for the kids. Everyone was excited and surprised. My parents both shed a few tears which was cool.

The girls were so good about not spilling the beans to the neighbors for 2 weeks! Then I went ahead with the last post as my way of telling everyone else.

The girls are excited. They talk about the baby everyday. Paige wants a boy to even out the numbers and "so Charlie won't wear dresses anymore". Haily wants a girl because "it would be SO CUTE like Hannah (her cousin)". Jon is voting boy. Charlie, girl. I think it would be fun to have a baby girl again. They are so fun! But another boy would be good for Charlie.

The other day, Charlie came up to me and said, "where's the baby, Mom? Your belly?" and tried to lift up my jacket. Then he said, "Smoosh baby!" and tried to push on my belly. I removed his hands and he said, "kick baby!" and tried to lift his foot high enough to reach me. I told him we don't hurt the baby, we kiss the baby. So he kissed my belly.

Lately he has not been sleeping well and always wants to be with me, not so much Jon. I think he knows more than we realize and he is already looking for reassurance that we love him still. It makes me a little sad. It reminds me of when I went into the hospital to have Haily and I felt a tremendous sense of guilt about what I was doing to Paige. Of course, everything turned out and everyone adjusted so I am hopeful it will be the same this time around.

The past week the sickness has set in. I knew it would so I tried to enjoy every day (and meal) I had before then! After a couple days I felt really discouraged, knowing how far I had to go! So today I got a prescription for Zofran aka the wonder drug. In my previous pregnancies it was a fairly new drug so there was no generic available. And they practically charged your 1st born to get it! Seriously, about $800 a month. I had to find some (possibly illegal) loopholes to get it. So imagine my JOY when I went to Costco today and it was $22 for a full 30 pills!!! YIPPEE!

Morning sickness makes me totally lose my appetite and in fact the thought or scent of food makes me dash for the nearest toilet, or sink in a pinch. But not eating makes it worse so the challenge is to find food that I can hold down. And it changes everyday! One day it was plain Eggo waffles. Cheese sticks used to do the trick. I thought pickles sounded good one day so I bought a jar and haven't wanted a single one! A vanilla frosty hit the spot one day (thanks Michelle!)

On the other hand, one morning I opened the coat closet to get my coat and caught the scent of gum in my purse, which caused my stomach to lurch and I ran to the bathroom. Then one night I opened the pantry to turn off the light and the scent of the food was enough to do it. The nearest receptacle that time was the sink. Charlie was there and asked, "you had burp, Mommy?"

I just have to get through one day at a time and keep in mind the reason for all the misery. When I look at the faces of my three kids I know I would do it again, a thousand times over to have them. It's truly an honor and a privilege to be a mother. I am grateful that my body is able to carry children. It is a joyful time!

Gifts of Chrstmas

2009-01-03T20:08:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve:

New PJs brought and hidden by Santa's elves at Grandma JuJu's house. We had a delicious dinner, found our PJs and put them on, watched a beautiful little video, and exchanged gifts. As you can tell by Haily's face, there were a lot of holiday goodies.

Christmas Morning:

We had drifts up to three feet deep on our driveway and in our street! Jon got it cleared so his parents could stop by then later spent the whole of the afternoon helping neighbors. The plows did not make it to our circle so we had to be pushed out by our neighbor (in 4low!) We had family stuff in Logan that night but almost didn't go because of the weather. The highway was actually really dry and clear until Sardine Canyon, which was a white-out sideways blizzard! There were several cars off the road and lots of police and ambulances. It was scary, but thanks to Jon we made it!

Charlie's favorite gift was these boots! He put them on immediately and wore them all day!

Haily got this darling new coat and they all got a battery powered toothbrush on their stocking.

The last gift of Christmas:
(Turn blog music off!)

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Called to Serve

2008-12-27T19:28:00.001-08:00

At a family Christmas party on Friday, 3 of my aunts gave a little report on how their missionary sons are doing. 2 of my cousins are in Mexico and one is in Oregon. My aunt Nina told us about this video. The Mexico City Temple was rededicated this month and there was a gathering at the Aztec Stadium which holds approximately 100,000 people. About 87,000 people were there to hear President Monson speak and to honor and show gratitude to the missionaries who serve there. A few years ago, Mexico was the first country outside the US to reach the 1 million member mark. In the video, as the missionaries file into the stadium, the congregation and the missionaries wave white hankies. It's quite the sight, and I can't imagine the spirit that was in the stadium.

Piano Recital

2008-12-20T17:58:00.000-08:00

This morning was Paige's first piano recital! She has been taking lessons for about 4 months. She is a very driven and self-motivated person and that trait translates over to piano! She really is good. We've already experienced the "I don't like piano!" and the "I want to quit!" but we keep encouraging her to develop this talent and someday she will be as good as Keane, Coldplay, or Grandma Deanie!
Paige does have some stage fright and had a few incidences of crying and saying she didn't want to do the recital. But I gave her some good luck earrings and Jon bribed her with a "prize" after she did it. So, she pulled through!
Her teacher has a point system for each lesson and she gave out prizes after the recital. Paige got 2nd place and won $4.00!
We are very proud of you, Paige! Keep up the good work!
(Make sure you stop the "Finetune" blog music so you can hear the video!)

Christmas Tag!

2008-12-19T14:10:00.000-08:00

Ok, anyone who wants to play, can copy this and put it on your blog. Just answer the questions with what you prefer! Have fun!

1.Wrapping paper or gift bags? WRAPPING PAPER! Gift bags only for odd shaped items. Don't be lazy! Although I guess the good thing about gift bags is that they can be re-used.
2. Real tree or Artificial? I am a new convert to artificial. No watering, no mess, no trip to the lot, lasts longer...
3. When do you put up the tree? First Monday night after Thanksgiving
4. When do you take the tree down? Sometime the week after Christmas, depending on holiday plans.
5. Do you like eggnog? No
6. Favorite gift received as a child? I remember a doll my mom made me and I remember fashion plates.
7. Hardest person to buy for? Hands down, mother -in-law. I've gone wrong before and it's not pretty, people.
8. Easiest person to buy for? Kids! They tell you what they want! And they are easily excited.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? A small one. Someday I'll get a nice one.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Christmas cards are one on the short list of things that MUST be mailed!
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Elf and Christmas Vacation
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? December. I always say I will start sooner the next year but it doesn't happen.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not as of yet but I'm not against it.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? What do I not eat at Christmas?? I recently heard about a delicious cranberry salsa dip that I am dying to try.
16. Lights on the tree? Who doesn't?!?!
17. Favorite Christmas song? Oh Holy Night, Breath of Heaven, A Long Time Ago.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home then travel after.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Easily
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? We have a new thing from IKEA that looks kind of like shiny stacked ornaments.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Morning! Except the PJs of course!
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Obligations to be too many places. The busy-ness takes the enjoyment out of it! Gotta cut back, slow it down, and enjoy.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? mix it up!
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Classic turkey or ham dinner.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Just for my kids to have a good Christmas.
26. Who do you tag? EVERYONE!

Bethlehem, Snow, and Santa

2008-12-15T16:02:00.000-08:00

Here was our weekend:
Saturday morning was our ward Christmas party themed, "Back to Bethlehem". I have to say the activities committee went ALL OUT and it was amazing!

Here are Mary and Joseph in the nativity.

This was the bread shop where there was a delicious selection of breakfast breads.

This was the shop where all the kids could make an ornament.

And this was the butcher shop where they served eggs and ham.

When we came home it was snowing and they kids were excited to play in it. So, we bundled them all up and sent them out. Some of the neighbors came over too.

Obviously, all my kids like to eat the snow! Poor Charlie! This is what he looked like when he came back inside:

I think frostbite was starting to set in. He made a fast recovery and never seemed to mind.

Then Sunday night was the Askerlund family Christmas party. After a delicious meal, Santa came to bring each child a gift!

Charlie was excited and not scared at all. He got a little Spiderman riding a 4-wheeler. He LOVES it! (And it's a "boy" toy!)

Haily surprised us by asking Santa for a hamster! I guess Fiona really made an impression.

Paige asked for a DS. She and Haily both got little txt messagers. They love em'! And I think it's great for reading and writing practice!

After the kids were done, and Santa left, the adults had a white elephant swap. I must say that the gift I brought was the hit of the party! Jon and I had gone Christmas shopping at Mervyns which is going out of business so they were selling everything! When I saw it, I knew we had to have it! And I bargained it from $20 down to $5! Jon was SO embarrassed to be seen walking around the store with it. I had to carry it and he stayed about 10 feel ahead of me. But it was so worth it.

Someone else already bought the top half so it was just the legs...and bum.

It finally feels like Christmas!

my pizzazz

2008-12-14T16:24:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

cupcakes

2008-12-12T11:15:00.000-08:00

Haily and I made cupcakes yesterday.

Here are mine:

And here are Haily's:

2nd Annual Downtown Christmas Trip

2008-12-09T16:02:00.000-08:00

Last night for Family Home Evening we took our second annual trip with the Paxtons downtown for dinner and the lights at Temple Square. The weather had been so mild until yesterday when we got our first REAL snowfall of the year. We did not let that stop us! And besides, it only added to the winter splendor.

As is tradition, we started with a little pizza and pasta at the California Pizza Kitchen. Always a
great way to kick off any evening! Then we rode Trax to Temple Square. This was a thrill for the kids and a horror for the dads. Well, I guess just Jon really. I've said it before, I think Trax is high entertainment.

We walked around temple square enjoying the lights and the nativity scene. Then we went into the visitor's center to warm up and see the Christus.

Here are all the kids (sans Noah who was still recovering from a snowball fight gone awry). Then it was Trax back to the Gateway to get a little goodie.

I enjoyed a delectable double chocolate cookie from Ben's.

We look forward to repeating the tradition every year with our wonderful friends!

Charlie's dreams

2008-12-09T10:57:00.001-08:00

The past 3 nights Charlie has woken up at around 1 am crying. Each time I have gone into his room to comfort him and ease him back to sleep. Each night he has reported a nightmare to me with intense fear. He was obviously disturbed. Here are the nightmares:

Friday: "A star! A BIG star!" (?????)

Saturday: "A drink of water! A COLD drink of water! It spilled in my ear! Right here!"(pointing to his right ear)

Sunday: "Hannah Montana!" (I thought he loved her.)

Luckily mommy's tender nurturing put him right back to sleep. I always wonder what goes through his head, and now I've had a little glimpse. Although I think it produces more questions than answers.

The Thanksgiving Top 10

2008-12-01T14:35:00.000-08:00

Here are my top 10 moments from Thanksgiving 2008:

#1 Lighting ceremony at the Walkers

(notice how small the people are in this picture!)

My parents' awesome neighbors always do a huge Christmas light display and the first night they turn them on, they invite everyone over for hot chocolate and doughnuts. We all did a countdown and then they flipped the switch. Can't help but think of this:

#2 Staying up late talking and laughing with my dad and siblings. We woke my mom up several times with the laughter but I bet she drifted back to sleep with a smile on her face each time.

#3 Games! A family tradition. This year the main events were Ticky-tic, Ticket to Ride, and fill in the blank story.

#4 Foreign food. On two of the nights we were there, Dave and Annie cooked meals from their missions for the family. First up was Annie. Lucky for us, she served in Italy! We each got to make our own Italian style pizza.

Next was Dave, who served in Portugal. He made a soup called Caldo Verde and bread. It was pretty tasty and good for you. I didn't take any pictures but it looked just like this:

#5 Fiona the hefty hamster.

Ben's girlfriend Sarah and her sister Cosi joined us for Thanksgiving dinner. Cosi brought her hamster Fiona in to say hello to the kids, and what kid wouldn't love that?

#6 Family temple day. It was wonderful to be in the temple together with all of my family (those old enough) We don't do it often enough and it was truly special. Ben and Devan were kind enough to watch all 9 kids while we went. Thanks guys!

#7 Test taking. What? Yes, that's right. We took some quizzes.

Jake has been getting ready to take the LSAT so he brought one of the previous year's test and administered it to Dave and Jon for fun. No one was surprised to find out that Dave could get into Yale (literally, he scored high enough). And Jon could get into a lot of schools too. Not Yale, but hey I'm still impressed. I would have taken it myself but I have my family fooled into thinking I'm kinda smart and didn't want to blow my cover.

Paige and Noah missed school so much that they kept asking me to write tests for them to take. So we had a math, a spelling, a science, a fill in the blank, and a telling time test. Of course, they are both on the genius level.

And finally, Suzanne has been reading The Five Love Languages so we all took the test to find out what language we speak.

The five options are physical touch, words of affirmation, gifts, quality time, and acts of service. I am bi-lingual; gifts and words of affirmation and Jon is multi-lingual; everything except gifts. It was funny and interesting to see every one's. You get to know people a lot better.

#8 Getting the kids to bed at night. ALL the kids. It was a task. It was an accomplishment. This was a good sight:

#9 Getting family pictures taken.

It had been a long time and I can't wait to get them back.

#10 The lesson in church on relationships.

Specifically finding out that there is actually a term for the dynamic Jon and I have: parent/child relationship. Haha! We both had some major breakthroughs in our "therapy" session and on the drive home and we are working toward interacting as adults. (sarcastic undertones throughout paragraph)

I had a fantastic Thanksgiving with my family! I feel so blessed and lucky. Thanks to Mom and Dad for opening your house to all the mess and noise and chaos. Thanks to everyone for the good times and memories that will last a lifetime and beyond.

I think I'm on to something

2008-11-24T15:54:00.001-08:00

I think I have my own New Kid...

And I'm thinking that a white shirt and a fan would be a great Christmas present.

COLDPLAY

2008-11-23T20:12:00.001-08:00

As an early Christmas gift, my parents gave all my siblings and me (along with our spouses) tickets to the Coldplay concert! We had been looking forward to it for months and finally, this is how the night unfolded:

First, some of us went to eat at Mimi's while others of us stayed home to watch some hyped up college football game.

After eating, we took the Trax to the ESA. Here we are waiting in the chilly night for the train. I personally love riding the Trax. Probably because I don't do it very often! But it sure beats driving and parking downtown. Plus there are plenty of interesting people to spy on for entertainment along the way.

Me, Richelle, Suzanne, Annie (doesn't she look cute!), Devan, Ben, and Sarah.

I had my first experience as a ticket scalper! We had an extra ticket and I had to stand outside and try to sell it. My kind and thoughtful brother Ben and his girlfriend Sarah stayed out there with me so I wouldn't be alone. After some time I found a nice guy who bought it, thank goodness.

The opening band was called Sleeper Car but I missed most of their act. Then there was this guy who played the keyboard along with a WEIRD animation video. I think I would've enjoyed it more if I had had a little chemical help...if you know what I mean! It was interesting. Dave and Shelle said the keyboard guy reminded them of a Friends episode in which Ross gets really into playing the keyboard.

Here is Chris Martin on the piano. My favorites were Viva La Vida (of course) and Fix You. We all called my parents on their different phones during Viva La Vida so they could hear it.

The seats were scattered all around. I sat with Shelle. Annie, Dave, Devan, and Annie's friend were dead center on the floor 7 rows back! And Jon was to the left of the stage in the railing of the lower bowl!

For a couple songs they went up into the crowd! It was the top of the lower bowl. So awesome!

Here they released a ton of confetti butterflies! It was so beautiful! I caught a few to take home to the kids.

Here we all are after the show.

And Ben and Devan on the Trax ride home.

These are the butterflies that I brought home to the girls. They like to arrange things...

It was quite the night. Thanks mom and dad! And thanks to ALL my family for being so awesome and fun to hang out with.

GYM BAIT

2008-11-20T14:49:00.000-08:00

I found a new bait to get my kids to agree to go to the child center at the gym while they are off track:

They discovered the rock climbing wall and THEY LOVE IT! After I work out, I pick up the girls, leaving Charlie in the child center, and take them to the wall. It's been great for them too because they have had to work at getting to the top where they ring a big bell for all to hear. Now both Haily and Paige can reach the top of all the courses. I usually go in the morning and the rock wall is usually open at night, but shhh, don't tell my kids that. Everyday I say, you can climb the wall if it's open. And everyday they get excited and come along willingly.

I started feeling bad so last Saturday Jon and I both took the kids solely for the purpose of climbing the wall. Charlie isn't allowed in the rock climbing area for safety reasons so Jon and I took turns pushing him on the scooter.

He also liked to sit on the edge of the climbing wall area and watch. To keep him there, we would give him Tic Tacs. He dropped one in the black rubber chips that cover the floor. As he picked it up and put it back in his mouth, he also got a handful of the chips. Jon started shouting, "Get the black guys out! They are yucky! Get the yucky black guys out!"

What makes this incident more funny is that right behind him was an entire team of big, mostly black, basketball players. WHOOPSY!

5 bad brothers from the beantown land

2008-11-16T14:16:00.000-08:00

ANATOMY OF THE BEST GNO EVER

History

July 5, 1990:

My aunt Tracey gave me tickets for my 12th birthday to a concert of a little boy band sweeping the nation called New Kids on the Block. About 6 weeks earlier she had given my brother tickets for his birthday and I was seething with jealousy so I said, "I don't really like them. They are not that cool." How stupid did I feel when I opened mine?

We went to the concert with my two aunts Steph and Mindy and sat pretty much on the back row of the nose bleed section. This was my first concert ever and I was so star struck just being in the same room (no matter if it was an enormous arena). This really kicked up my romance with the fellas, particularly Joey because he was closest to my age. My aunts had a poster on their bedroom wall and we would each kiss our favorite goodnight. I think we made quite the pair, Joey and I, with our matching hairstyles.

December 1996

Well, I grew up some and my "boyfriends" broke up and seemed to disappear, although not from my heart. My friend Jolene and I went to visit some friends in Massachusetts. We took a little excursion to Boston and on the top floor of one of the downtown towers there is a wall with photos of famous people from Beantown. Of course I had to get my picture taken with my lovas:

October 19, 2008

I was browsing some of my friends blogs and came across this:

http://jonathonandkatie.blogspot.com/2008/10/boys-from-bean-town.html

As I read about the concert my heart began to pound and I was so excited I could hardly sleep. But I did sleep long enough to dream that they were coming to Salt Lake. So the next day I say to Jon, "GUESS WHERE KATIE WENT?!?! A New Kids Concert!!!" He goes, "Oh really? You know they are coming to Salt Lake." WHAT!!!!!??? No I did not know that! But now it's destiny that I be there. I start making phone calls. Rally the girls to see who wants to go. Within a week I got an email from my neighbor Marci saying she got an email offering 20$ tickets to New Kids and do I want to go? Sign me the freak up.

November 4, 2008

Michelle downloaded the greatest hits album and THE BLOCK, their latest album and made copies for the group of us groupies so we could know the music for the big day. This is all I have been listening to, in the car, at the gym, even falling asleep at night. Michelle and I have fun texting some of the awesome lyrics to each other. I could seriously do a complete post on my favorite lines from the new songs...but let's save that for another day.

November 13, 2008

The girls get together for a night of preparation we called the pre-show. We made t-shirts and posters and watched the Behind the Music on the New Kids. We really took the research seriously. Here is what I put on the back of my shirt.

How hot is THAT?

That night I dreamt that they stayed at my house while they were in town for the concert. I had a farewell dinner to which I invited all my friends.

November 15, 2008

The day has finally arrived. The culmination of an 18 year love affair! Michelle, Marci, Richelle, Annie and I met at Paradise Cafe for a little dinner. I was so excited I hardly had an appetite. (Which is RARE!) We then headed out for the time of our lives!

This is the poster we created thanks to Michelle's hilarious-ness, my poster making skills, and Marci's supplies. All our husbands were thrilled. We thought about adding a little something about "my bishop said you could be my freebie..." but decided against it. The heart breaker was that we weren't allowed to take it inside!
Here we are distributing the day glow that Michelle provided. These are the kind that you put in your mouth like a sexy retainer. They looked like something else which gave us a good laugh.
They did a few songs on this little round stage in the middle. One of which was Dirty Dancing, one of my new favorites.

This is the 5 of us at the end of the concert. I seriously jumped, danced, screamed, and sang the entire time. I was so sweaty! And my voice was GONE the next morning. We had to make a stop at the SEV on the way home to get a soothing Slurpee.

This was truly the most fun I've had in a long time. The noise was crazy, the cheering and screaming never stopped. I HIGHLY recommend the new album, even if you've never been a fan. This is some good stuff. I'm tempted to make a road trip to San Diego to do it all over again.

The days are long, but the years are short.

2008-11-09T08:06:00.000-08:00

This video goes so perfectly with my last post. Hope you take the 1 minute to watch!
http://www.theyearsareshort.com/

Life

2008-11-06T19:47:00.000-08:00

This morning as I was loading my kids in the car to drive them to the bus stop (Yes, we have to drive to our bus stop!) I had a rare moment. I just felt thrilled about this time in my life. I love having kids. I love that I still feel young. I love watching them blossom. It is exciting. It is rewarding. It is fun.

By the end of the day, my perspective had changed some. I had the more common feeling of being overwhelmed by all my responsibilities.

*Getting three meals a day: something easy to prepare, suitable to the tastes of 5 people,

affordable, nutritious

*Making sure the kids are clean and presentable: bathed, hair combed, dressed in something

appropriate to the weather their genders.

*Getting them to bed on time at night and up on time in the morning

* homework done, including reading 20 minutes a day (doesn't sound like much but trust me..)

*piano practice done: before it gets too dark since the piano is in the room that has no lighting

and amid the noise and chaos of the other children

*Groceries

*bills paid

*soap in all the bathrooms

*lightbulbs replaced

*laundry: need I say more? Always overflowing baskets, never done, I think I am the perpetual
laundress.

*house clean: never every room all at the same time!

*doctor's appointments

*dentist appointments

*exercise!?!

*gifts or cards for family and friends birthdays and various holidays and special occasions.

*oil changed, tires rotated, heaven forbid safety and emissions rolls around

*car washed, or at least the interior cleared of wrappers, shoes, food, sippy cups, papers, etc.

*church calling: varies but always something

*temple

*family scriptures, prayer, and Family Home Evening

*personal prayer and scripture study (make it meaningful!)

*couple prayer (can't remember the last time)

*genealogy

*food storage

*Keeping the kids dressers cleaned out and making sure they have clothes that fit.

*volunteering in the school classrooms so I can be involved in their education

*husband: just something else that requires attention and time (am I the only one that has this

bad of an attitude? Some days, anyway. Just being honest.)

And then you throw into the system a variety of wrenches: hormones, illness, lack of sleep, holidays, vacations...

Jon's always on me to document all these priceless memories, so I gotta blog!! This counts as writing in a journal, right?

Then you gotta find time in there for fun: a hobby, a TV show, a movie, a sporting event, a party, a girls night out, a date, whatever.

Life is busy! Is there ever a point when you are "there". I look at each item on the list and you know what? I can find JOY in each one of them. And I do. There are those days, though, when it's all at once and then I don't find joy in any of it. That's when I need to SLOW DOWN and remember that moment I had this morning. Who cares if it's not ALL done ALL the TIME? So, Charlie wears dresses in public once in a while. And Haily wore floods on the first day of school. And I pull dirty jeans out of the hamper on occasion. And Jon gets neglected WAY to often. And, dentist? Oops. And a corn dog for dinner never hurt anyone. We are getting by. We are surviving. We are THERE.

2 funny things

2008-11-05T19:53:00.000-08:00

#1: When Haily got home from school today she told me that a boy in her class got in trouble today. "What did he do?" I asked.
"He wouldn't stop talking to his neighbor when he was doing his homework."
"What did your teacher do?"
"She took a picture of him with his head down to show his mom."

Now, your guess is as good as mine as to whether or not that is actually the teacher's form of punishment. But the images in my head have had me laughing all night.
(teacher) "Put your head down on the desk! Keep it down! When your mother sees this she will know you were naughty today!"
or "Hang your head low, like you are really ashamed. That's it. Now frown a little. Not too sad, then people will just feel sorry for you. More like a whiney frown. There it is. Now your mom will see that you did something shameful."

#2: Paige brought home a book that she wrote today. It's called "My ot Book" because it's filled with words that have the "ot" sound in them. This page had me snickering:
"My sister has a hot potato
My brother got mad
My mom got a shot gun
For my dad"
Oh, how dysfunctional does this make our family sound? One child getting burned by scalding food. Another raging with sibling rivalry, probably because he isn't getting fed. And the mother solves these problems by retrieving the shot gun for the dad. Nice. But notice the ABCB rhyme pattern? I am so proud.

Movie Reviews

2008-11-03T16:01:00.000-08:00

Here are my opinions on a few movies I have seen in the last month or two.

"The Women". This is a remake of an old 30's movie. I went to see it in the theatre with my sister. I really am not much into chick flicks, but despite the title, this does not fit the category. I LAUGHED OUT LOUD on several occasions. Once neither Annie nor I could stop for several minutes, after the scene had changed and everything. I was curious how Meg Ryan would do, and I was satisfied. I've always thought she was cute, then she went through a weird period after her divorce and her lips got too big... Anyway, SEE IT! GO with some girlfriends and have a good time. PS there are NO men in the movie at all.

"Run Fat Boy Run" Jon and I watched this On Demand one night after the kids were in bed. Personally, I am a fan of British humor. Kind of dry and subtle. So, I expected to laugh a lot, which I did, most often at unexpected times. What I was surprised about was that I nearly cried. Perhaps I was a little biased since I recently completed my first marathon, but it was inspiring. I don't know that I would pay full price to see it in a theatre but I would definatley recommend watching it at home sometime. It won't be a waste of your time and you'll walk away feeling good.

"The Other Boleyn Girl" I watched this On Demand one night by myself when Jon was out with the guys. I think he might have actually enjoyed it, with all the steamy romance! It was interesting. Strange period of time, as far as relationships go! I was entertained. Wouldn't see it in the theatre, wouldn't watch it at a party, but it has its time and place: home alone.

"The Love Guru" LAME!!!! Don't waste your time. You will not laugh, and if you do, it will just be a weak-hearted exhale of a laugh. Jon and I watched this over the weekend when the kids were in bed. Disappointing.

"High School Musical 3" You may have seen on a recent post that I took my girls to see this on Paige's birthday. There were some other friends and moms there too. I think the moms enjoyed it at least as much as the kids, if not more. Troy: HHHHOT! Gabriella: cheesy and annoying. Music: catchy (got Paige the sound track) Entertainment Value: high.

"Baby Mama" OH MY HECK! I liked this movie more than I thought I would. Maybe it's because I wasn't expecting it to be as funny as it was. I watched this one alone one night while Jon was out. I laughed and laughed, a lot. I was thinking of certain scenes for days after and would laugh out loud again. Tina and Amy are such a funny combination, and the guy who plays Amy's boyfriend had to be my favorite. So perfectly executed; not too over-the-top but that guy can pull off white trash! You will laugh! See it. Wha Wha!

tricks, treats

2008-11-01T22:13:00.000-07:00

"Charlie Horse"

"Alice" Haily calls her Allison. Her original costume was a star but decided the night before to pull out this little number we picked up at Disneyland.

Paige the scary ghost.

Getting ready to go trick or treat-ing with dad. Charlie walked the whole time, loving every minute of it.

We have way too much candy at our house! In fact, when I pulled out these jack-o-lantern buckets, I had to dump out old candy from last year! It's all about the trick or treat experience, they don't really care about the candy.